


Brothers

by Heaven_in_a_Wild_Flower



Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Anal Sex, Bondage, Clubbing, Dirty Talk, Drunkeness, Jealous Nero, Kyrie is a good friend, M/M, Possessive Nero, There are only so many things Vergil can accept, Turbulent V, V's outfit should be illegal, adopted brothers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:07:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21860671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heaven_in_a_Wild_Flower/pseuds/Heaven_in_a_Wild_Flower
Summary: A College AU where Nero and V are adopted brothers who are seemingly (at least to Nero) fighting over a beautiful girl. Instead it shows that there is something more between them.Is an attraction between them unseemly and sinful? Vergil certainly seems to think so.
Relationships: Nero/V, implied Dante/Vergil
Comments: 46
Kudos: 183





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The whole incest interest in the DMC fandom is pretty interesting in my opinion so I just wanted to do a different take.
> 
> Hope you like it~!

“Do you have to be so clingy with her?” V chided him, closing the front door behind them.

“You’re the one who’s always talking to her about useless crap - poetry, gardening - who the hell has any interest in that shit.” Nero fumed kicking off his shoes and leaving them hazardously strewn around the shoe rack.

V gave a withering sigh and placed his own sandals on the rack, bending down to collect Nero’s shoes and organised them next to his. “Of course and I am sure Kyrie is not bored by your incessant prattling about games and the latest takeout joint you’ve found. Absolutely ludicrous.”

Nero rounded on him. “And there you go with your fancy words. We had the same education V, why don’t you behave like it?” He spat and crossed his arms.

V straightened up and tucked his hair back behind his ear, Nero’s eyes following the motion closely. Fucking pretty boy. “There is no need to be so mad I actually gained something from our education, idiot.”

Nero seethed. “You wanna say that to my face!”

V rolled his eyes and walked passed him further into their luxury apartment, purchased by daddy dearest. “I believe I just did, brother.”

“Yeah well you’re the worst brother ever.” Nero clenched his fists and bit his tongue. He wanted to be harsher and declare that V was no real brother of his, just some stray found on the street but they had been through that before, the nasty words clearly upsetting the elder of the two and honestly Nero could only be so cruel before he really began to feel like the monster in this sibling rivalry. It was just that V got on his nerves every second of everyday with his perfect grades, refined looks and holy-than-thou attitude.

He wished Vergil had got them separate apartments, at least then they wouldn’t be at each other’s throats all the time. Nero would sacrifice every home-cooked meal V made and live on takeout if only he could have some peace from the insufferable ass.

V probably hated him too, let’s be honest, Nero wasn’t easy to live with. He was a complete grump when it came to V never quite understanding where he stood with his adopted brother. Whether as a consequence of the confusion surrounding his thoughts and feelings towards V or just his natural state of being, Nero was prone to violent outbursts, full of endless energy and pent up venom. He couldn’t seem to control it, but he’d been this way ever since he could remember and his father had refused to medicate him, claiming that he would mellow out just as he and his brother Dante did.

“I’m hungry.” Nero declared following V into the kitchen.

“Yes well, I would ask you to cook if I did not fear you would burn everything you touched.” V bit back but nevertheless opened the fridge to pull out ingredients.

Nero bristled before taking a deep breath, not wanting to actually dissuade V from cooking. In their youth while Nero spent his time playing games, V had patiently observed their father cook, assisting him and following his instruction perfectly - like he did with everything. Nero gritted his teeth and flopped down on the couch. How was he not supposed to have a complex when one day a stranger is brought into his home and he’s perfect in every way compared to Nero, the claimed problem child?

He didn’t hate V, not really, but ever since those few awkward moments where he had tried to approach V or bond with him and was met with rejection, the young damaged boy so far withdrawn into his shell, Nero had been left feeling like he’d never get close to his new brother. He resented how V latched onto his father, their approach and manner so similar and Nero couldn’t help but wonder whether Vergil preferred V to him. He had held such thoughts bitterly against the boy, refusing to be his friend. He watched idly as V was rejected at school for his quiet reserved nature and yet seethed over the attention he had received from his teachers and the girls when they started to notice his dark refined looks in high school. Nero was jealous, he knew that was really all this was, in the end V was a good guy but they had fallen into a pattern not unlike a cat and dog, constantly biting at each other. Perhaps Vergil had hoped having them live together during University would bond them. 

Maybe they would have stood a chance were it not for one girl, Kyrie.

He’d seen her around campus often, a simple glimpse of her red hair capturing Nero’s eyes and he’d followed her as she interacted with friends. He had wanted to approach her, he just didn’t know how, until he saw something that made his blood boil. One day after class he had seen them walking together, V’s face bright with a warm smile as he looked down at her. Irritation had clawed at his throat – how dare V make such an expression at her! Overcome with jealousy, he had marched his way over to them.

“Hello Nero.” V had said calmly, taking in the way he huffed, eyes glaring daggers.

“V -.” Nero swallowed deeply realising that for all the steam fuelling him, he had no idea what to say. If he and V had been alone he’d have torn him a new one, threatening all manner of physical violence. Not that he could commit to that, not when V possessed a lingering injury from the accident Uncle Dante rescued him from.

“Oh hello, who’s this?” Kyrie’s cheerful voice had pealed out like music to his ears.

Nero flushed and saw V study him closely, a flash of something crossing his green eyes.  
V cleared his throat. “This is Nero.”

Kyrie clapped her hands together. “Your little brother Nero? Pleasure to meet you, V talks about you all the time.”

It’s was V’s turn to colour, expression bordering on irritated. “I would not go as far as to say that.”

Kyrie had nudged him with her shoulder, ignoring the expression. “V tells me you’re a very talented athlete and mechanic, you’re an Engineering major right?”

Nero hadn’t been sure how to react to the idea that V spoke about him with others, much less the girl he’d been crushing on from a far. Was he proud of him? Nero felt strangely warmed by the idea and had smiled. “Yeah Nico is the best instructor I could hope for, she’s got wicked techniques!”

From there their relationship blossomed, Kyrie always attentive to what Nero had to say and he found himself falling deeper for her. The only problem was they were rarely seen without V, his older brother always lunching with Kyrie after their shared classes in literature and religious studies. At first Nero could deal with it, but after a while Nero craved to have Kyrie all to himself and V became an obstruction in his romantic intentions.

He needed to make it clear how he felt before V got there first.

He had decided to do it tonight.

The University was throwing a bash and the brothers had decided to go out together to chaperone Kyrie. Nero had declared that he was fine to go with her by himself but V had merely scoffed and said Nero was the reason V needed to go. That was what had started the bickering as they returned to their apartment. Now with dinner prepared they were both at least quiet and behaving. As V ate with a delicacy, Nero inhaled the meal he refused to admit was yet again one of the best things he’d ever tasted – just how did V know how to balance the flavours so well. He should have been rushing to give himself more time to get ready for the night but honestly he ate with a greed for V’s skill.

He couldn’t help but savour the last bite and smile, closing his eyes. At a musical chuckle he shot a look at V who twirled the pasta onto his fork. “I do not think anyone loves my cooking as much as you do, father may be the exception.” V mused, taking a bite.

Nero swallowed and huffed. “No one else has ever tasted your cooking.”

V finished his mouthful and smiled. “Still makes you my number one fan.”

Nero put the bowl down on the table and crossed his arms. “Yeah well I bet Kyrie can cook better.” He knew this to be false; he’d tried some of her homecooked lunches and been sorely disappointed – not that he was going to let V know that.

“Hmm.” V lowered his head but Nero could see the frown that worried his face. What was that for?

After dinner Nero took a shower and contemplated his clothing. It was mid-autumn and the days were growing colder but the club was likely to sweltering. Pulling on a sleek grey tank top he pulled a blue zip-up hooded jumper over it and smirked at himself in the mirror. The line of his shoulders was well defined, his collarbones peeking out from behind the tank top and he could easily tie the jumper around his waist when he got too hot or wanted to show off his arms. Nero was proud of his body, keeping up with the gym routine Uncle Dante taught him from his police training days. It had been a good way to rid him of the pent-up energy and focus himself.

Dante was probably Nero’s favourite person in the world and some days when Nero feared Vergil preferred V he wished he was Dante’s son, their humour and behaviour so similar and well matched. The only thing was Dante was a workaholic, working back to back shifts at the police department over the past few years. He used to practically live at Vergil’s home with them, the older brothers sharing an unbreakable bond but one day he was just gone and Vergil withdrew into himself. Nero had tried to see Dante on his own but it seemed he had stopped having time for a doting nephew. Such was life.

Spiking his hair slightly Nero washed his hands in the bathroom sink and turned at the sound of V exiting his bedroom. V entered the bathroom, clad in black, chest and arms bare as he was wrapped in that ridiculous leather jacket he picked up a few years ago. The lacing at the front was oddly seductive in a way Nero wasn’t comfortable with and when he dipped forward the slightest hint of a pink nipple would poke out. Nero hid behind an array of negative emotions, finding the feelings he experienced when looking at his brother in these moments complicated. He’d mastered the onslaught of emotions to summon forth anger and jealousy, allowing it to disguise something he was unwilling to label. And yet he couldn’t help but notice how attractive V was. In bitter rejection he returned to jealousy, convinced V was pulling out all the stops to lure Kyrie away from him.

“Are you fucking serious?” Nero growled through gritted teeth.

V rolled his eyes. “The club will be hot, plus, this is a favourite.” He leant in front of the main mirror beside Nero and arranged his hair.

Nero realised he was wearing kohl eyeliner, accentuating his large composed green eyes. Fuck did he have to look so good, Kyrie was going to fawn over him to no end.

“Whatever princess.” Nero huffed and in the mirror V’s eyebrow twitched at the name calling.

They caught a taxi up to the University and Nero played on his phone the entire time, texting Kyrie. Yet even that couldn’t distract him from noticing the long line of V’s body resting against the window, his head poised on his fist, legs splayed in soft black jeans, the street lights reflecting off his pale skin to accentuate the pattern of black tattoos spread across his body.

Nero remembered how angry Vergil had been when returned from a month long business trip to find his eldest son had ‘disfigured’ himself. Nero on the other hand had been enraptured by the markings, stirred to call them beautiful before biting out an insult that they were ugly. It had been for V’s nineteenth birthday, a gift to himself and Nero knew he’d been saving up for something for months. He was so proud of himself but Vergil’s anger had been cruel, a far cry from the reaction either of them had expected and Nero had watched quietly as V was berated, suffering their father’s cold and scathing reprimand.

V paid for the taxi as Nero climbed out, searching for Kyrie. He smiled as soon as he found her amongst the crowd trickling their way into the University’s bar and club room. During the day it mostly served as an area where groups could collect to meet and eat or even play pool but on certain nights the bar was manned and a DJ would be hired to bring the place to life. It was a free entry tonight, drawing in the college students and townies like he and V alike.

Kyrie was a vision, clad in a knee-length white dress with soft petaling layers and brown leather boots up to her calves. She waved her hand enthusiastically at him before sneezing, her bare shoulders shaking at the gust of wind. Nero was immediately at her side shrugging off his jumper and wrapping it around her.

“Thank you Nero you’re so sweet.” She beamed up at him before her eyes went wide at something over his shoulder. “Oh my V you look…stunning!”

Nero could see the blush on her face and watched as her eyes raked over his brother, Nero’s chivalrous act forgotten. Top lip curling he turned around to throw some hurtful commentary about goths or something witty when the words died in his throat. V battled the wind, his jacket splaying open, dark locks of hair playing around his face, a charmed smile gracing full lips.

“As do you dear Kyrie.” V inclined his head and held out his arm to her.

She latched on and they began to talk animatedly about something Nero had no grasp on as they made their way into the club. Once again he was the third-wheel, being left behind. He gritted his teeth, determined not to let V get away with it – he wouldn’t have everything. V may be perfect at everything else, but Nero would beat him in this, he loved Kyrie more, he could be her perfect partner.

They sat down at one of the tables and chairs outside on the balcony, the thrum of music resounding through the ground and into their chests. Between them they bought round after round of drinks and played various games, including Never Have I Ever. V frequently lost and it became clear after a while that not only was his brother debauched but he was also significantly more drunk than either of them. He was also apparently queer…

“Never have I Ever kissed someone of the same-sex.” Kyrie asked the table.

V chuckled and dropped a finger, taking a swig of cider for good measure. Nero grumbled and followed suit, cursing a particular high school game of spin the bottle. He shrugged. “Never have I Ever fucked someone of the same-sex.”

Kyrie’s eyes went wide and she looked to V in concern. Nero blinked as V looked pained, pushing his hair up and off his face before he dropped his last finger and sculled the rest of his drink. Nero rose to his feet with him, questions on his lips but V gave them both a disarming smile and grabbed Kyrie’s hand.

“I feel like dancing.” He staggered slightly and pulled her towards him.

“Is that going to be ok?” Kyrie asked, casting a nervous glance at Nero.

“Time will tell.” V sighed and opened the doors, the bass of the music pouring out over them and Nero stood still for a moment, mouth opening and closing. What the fuck had just happened? Since when had V fucked a guy? He guessed that made V bisexual, queer, whatever, like that even matter…yet why had he never told him? Fuck Vergil would flip out.

Nero mulled over his thoughts as he followed them onto the dancefloor. V swept Kyrie into his arms and they moved and swayed to the beat, a perfect match of light and dark. Suddenly all of Nero’s thoughts concerning his brother’s sexuality fled him at the sight. It was almost as if the universe was screaming at him that she would never be his, not when his perfect brother stood in the way. 

Nero tried to dance, tried to put the thoughts out of his mind but intoxication crept up on him and he suddenly felt like dragging V away from her and chucking him in a taxi to send him home. He growled to himself. He wanted V away from her and yet why did V always come first, even in his mind? He should have thought to drag Kyrie off to a secluded corner and confess his feelings but no, everything was about V – it was beyond frustrating.

Just as his arm reached out to secure around V’s wrist a stranger lurked behind Kyrie, his hands winding around her waist. She squeaked and V’s eyes flashed. Nero moved to barged him out of the way, sliding in to protect her back at the same moment that V rotated them. Nero wound up with his hands on V’s hips as his brother swivelled his head to take him in in surprise. They were frozen for a moment, motions still on the dancefloor as Nero’s chest pressed against the line of V’s back, his dark hair tickling Nero’s nose.

V blinked back at him and Nero swore even in the dark he could see a ruddy blush over his cheeks…or was he just drunk? His hips felt so slim, fitting neatly into the palm of his hands and for a moment Nero found himself enjoying the sensation before he bared his teeth in disgust, releasing him. A moment of pain and understanding filtered across V’s face before he returned to looking at Kyrie. They exchanged a look that excluded Nero yet again, Kyrie rubbing V’s arms and Nero fled them both, ignoring V’s calls for him.

It was always V, V in her mind, V in his. Why was he so special, why did he matter so much to him? Nero knew he could just let it go, befriend his brother and let go of this rivalry, but since the very beginning something about the man stirred something deep within him. He called forward the few emotions that could cloud them and thrived on anger and jealousy, but he knew, he’d always known there was more. Just what did he feel for V? Did he even want to know?

He returned to the bar and bought another drink, watching the pair from afar, his eyes lingering on the way V raised his hands up high and swayed, one hand dragging down the length of his arm. Kyrie probably thought he was so sexy. Nero was certainly working on denying he did. The night passed like this, Nero brooding over drink after drink, intoxication growing as he watched them move over the dancefloor. They really were better suited, Kyrie looking so comfortable in his presence, warm smile curling that petite mouth as she moved against him.

A strange man with a goatee approached them and entered into an animated conversation with Kyrie as the music climaxed and switched to the next tune. Kyrie appeared to acquiesce to something and moved away from V, following the man. Nero stumbled to his feet and followed them, catching her hand, pulling her away from the stranger.

“Are you alright Kyrie?” He slurred slightly.

“Kyrie?” The stranger called with a frown and stared at Nero.

Kyrie laid her hand over Nero’s and smiled. “It’s ok Nero, he’s my brother Credo. We’ve got an early rise tomorrow to go see family so he’s picking me up.”

“Oh.’ Nero muttered, disappointed that all he’d done all night was sulk.

“Thanks for this.” She patted his hand and returned his hoodie. “I had fun, you and V are great company.”

“I’m sure you liked V better.” He mumbled, swaying slightly on the spot.

She pulled away to grab his shoulders. “I like you both equally but Nero,” she bit her lip, torn over something. “We’re not a good match. Not because you’re not amazing, you are but someone else loves you more and it would break their heart.”

Nero was puzzled, had she said someone loved him more or loved her more? It had to be her right. Was she talking about V? Had he already confessed his feelings? No wonder he felt like a third wheel. His mind swam, returning back to anger.

“Have a good night then.” He stumbled back out of her grip and she frowned.

“Wait, Nero I don’t think you understood -.”

He walked back inside, the music drowning her out. Where was V? He bashed into someone on the way, their drink spilling over him but he was focused on only one thing in the haze of his intoxication. Fuck his previous qualms he was gonna punch V in his pretty face. He was almost crazed as he stumbled through the crowd making his way to the dancefloor. He could see V’s tall form from where he stood on the edge and took a step towards him before the sight in front of him pulled him up short.

V ground back into the body behind him, his hand braced on the other man’s hip as broad fingers moved to slip under the soft lip of his jacket, dancing across his pale skin. The shorter man pressed his pelvis against V’s arse, lips moving over his neck as V craned his head back, eyes closed to the sensation. Something inside Nero ticked over and he launched forward, ripping the hand off the other man’s hip to then pull V out of his grasp.

“Nero what - ? V started but Nero held him against him and raised a finger to the stunned man he’d been dancing with.

“You stay the fuck away from him.” Nero shouted over the music before tearing off and out of the club, wrenching V along behind him.

His head swam as he rushed through the crowd of people outside. Only when they were far from anyone else and out on the open grounds did Nero listen to V’s complaints to stop, whipping around to push him in the chest. “What the fuck V?”

V’s eyes flashed the drunken confusion marring his features hardening. “No how about what the fuck Nero?” He shoved him back.

“How could you do that to Kyrie, the second she’s gone!” He struck out with a punch that was honestly half-hearted either through intoxication or the reservations he still held within about hurting his brother.

V caught the punch and locked his arm, missing the follow-up arm that wrapped around his waist and pulled him close. Nero could see the blush now but misunderstood its meaning. So he was embarrassed about his actions. 

“I am not interested in Kyrie Nero, for Christ sakes!”

Nero swiped out with his foot in a cruel move, targeting V’s bad leg. He didn’t think it through, forgetting the hold V had on him and they both toppled to the ground, Nero sprawling across V’s body. He pulled himself up onto his knees, straddling his hips and V groaned in pain. “Sure you’re not,” he panted, irritation swarming him. “You’re always hanging around her, holding onto her – protecting her even from me!”

V gaped and shifted, looking uncomfortable with their position. “That is not what I was doing, I just did not want…ugh – just how insecure are you? She is my friend, one of my only friends actually.”

Nero grabbed hold of his jacket, pulling him up off the ground. “Yeah well friends fall for friends!”

V looked away from him. “Not me and Kyrie…I could be accused of a worse crime.”

Nero shook his head. “Yeah right! I’ve seen the way you look at her.”

V gritted his teeth and returned to looking at him with a heated glare. “Yeah because I like her.”

Nero dropped him to the ground and pointed a finger at him. “Ha! Exactly!”

V growled, rubbing the back of his head where he hit it. “This is ridiculous, Nero I’m gay.”

Nero paused, his anger swirling before settling to brew below the surface. “What?”

V blushed, his eyes lowering to peer at him from behind a slightly nervous gaze. “You heard me.”

He didn’t want Kyrie. Relief flooded Nero and he almost smiled down at V until he remembered the man grinding against V, possessive hands marking. For whatever reason Nero didn’t like that and his anger surged again. “So you’ll just take any guy then, that random asshole in the club.”

V frowned. “Perhaps but he did not seem like an asshole to me.”

Nero grabbed hold of his jacket again and wrenched it to the side, drunkenly searching for proof of the stranger’s stain on V’s skin. “You gotta have better judgement” Nero claimed, fingers dragging over V’s chest and ribs and V’s voice hitched as he called out his name.

“Nero knock it off.” He panted, hiding his eyes behind his forearm, slinging it across his forehead.

He accepted the action rather than push at him to urge him away. Why wasn’t he resisting, and why did Nero like his submission so much? His skin was so soft, he could feel each rib bone as he slid his hand up along his chest and he stopped just shy of his nipple, fingers itching to reach out and grab it. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Nero hung his head, teeth worrying at his lip as his mind struggled over the drunken inclination to just give in to the curiosity tugging at his mind.

“I did not know how you would react.” V mumbled and Nero looked at him in surprise, V never mumbled unless he was taking a lecture from dad. He must have been legitimately nervous about this conversation. It would have been exacerbated by the fact that he was drunk, hell Nero was worse, the image of V blurring before his eyes every so often.

Nero’s breath came heavy then. “I don’t know how it makes me feel.” He couldn’t stop his hand from reaching out to trail along V’s cheek, a feral heat igniting in his stomach as V pushed into the touch.

V swallowed deeply, dropping his arm away to reveal eyes cautious and pained. “Do you hate me?”

Nero shook his head slightly, eyes bewitched by the movement of V’s plump mouth, his hand lowering down to run his thumb over his bottom lip. He hated it, seeing V with that man, but why? What was this feeling within him? It was more than jealousy, he wanted to hide V away from prying eyes and he wanted…wanted… “No, but it makes feel…makes me want…” He started softly before V smiled in relief, hands coming up to encircle the hand held by his mouth.

He was so beautiful, how was he always so beautiful. Nero’s mind swam, images of every moment he held contempt for V, his perfect beautiful brother, holding hands with Kyrie, pensively studying at the dining table, tucking a lock of dark hair behind his ear, humming while he cooked in the kitchen, grinding against strange men in darkened corners of the dancefloor. Fuck he wanted…what did he want? He felt the feeling of need crawling up his throat. This couldn’t be right?

The lip below his thumb was plush and Nero knew in the moment with a sudden clarity that he wanted to taste it. Just once, he had to just feel it against him. Launching forward he dropped his hand away and captured those lips between his own, gripping a handful of V’s hair to hold him and just let him feel this. V gasped and went still, body taut but passive as Nero manoeuvred his mouth to swipe his tongue across his lips. Nero could taste the alcohol on his breath, the sweetness of the sugary drinks he so loved and it was divine. He felt it the moment V softened, his lips parting and Nero dived in to take advantage, delving his tongue in deeper to taste him. Hands grasped at his sides, torn between urging him away and holding him close.

This. 

He had wanted this, ever since he’d laid eyes on him.

Nothing would or even could stop him now, not even himself.


	2. Chapter 2

God he hoped V didn’t hate this.

Nothing he’d ever experienced felt like this, so innately wrong and perfectly right.

He was kissing his brother and fuck if he wasn’t enjoying it. For a man of such angular strong edges V was soft in arms and Nero lowered his body down to lay more on top of him, feeling the way V’s chest arched up into their kiss. After moment of shocked stillness, V was now responding, his lips pressing against his, chasing his wandering tongue, reaching out with his own. Suddenly Nero pulled away, hand wrenching V’s head back by the hair to expose his neck and Nero dived down, teeth latching onto the tendon.

V moaned and his hands grasping hold of Nero’s body flexed wildly, hips bucking up. Nero sucked and nipped a love bite deep into his skin, feeling the arousal of his body swell. He actually wanted to fuck V – his own brother. Yet they weren’t related by blood, which had to stand for something right? He let go of the flesh and hovered over V, groaning at the way his brother bit at his own lip in the aftermath of the assault on his neck, his lips pouted and swollen. He lingered, staring down at him, breath still coming quickly. Jesus, what was he doing?

V released his lip and looked up at him. “Nero I - .”

Nero shook his head. “I don’t know what wrong with me.”

V laid a hand on his bare arm. “I have been wrong since the day I met you.”

Nero frowned. “It was never just brotherly hate.”

V smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes, thumb stroking his skin. “Not for me, I never hated you, quite the opposite.”

Nero lowered himself down till they were a hairs breath away. “Is this enough, should I stop?”

“If you need to.” Green eyes were open and expressive…asking.

His body screamed for more, to take and have him all – would V even be willing to go so far? “And if I want more? How much are you willing to give me?” Nero ran his shaky fingers through V’s hair, watching the way he closed his eyes in contentment. V always did love having his hair played with, until that one day when he had forbade Nero to do it ever again, building another wall between them, bolstering the distance. Had he always liked it too much?

“Everything, for you, everything Nero.” V breathed and craned up to press a gentle kiss to his mouth. Nero followed him in the retreat, turning the kiss into some debauched and hungry.

They lingered there for a while, hands ghosting over each other, lips devouring and swallowing their sounds of need until Nero lifted off and stumbled to his feet. He offered a hand to V, pulling him up into his arms, fingers trailing down the length of his body. Jesus Christ just what was he doing – what was he planning to do? The distance between him and his brother was gone, that wall he’d always wondered whether he could break now lying crumbled at their feet. Had he always wanted V this way? Was that really where his anger and jealousy had stemmed from?

V swayed in front of him, a blush of intoxication and passion colouring his cheeks and Nero smashed their lips together again, chasing the feeling filling the reaches of his body. He wanted this, more than any girl he’d fallen into bed with, more than Kyrie. He wanted to fuck his brother and no reservations in his mind were going to stop him.

He called a taxi, slurring on the line but they appeared to understand him and grabbed V’s hand, leading him down to the taxi bay. There were other people there and V tried to pull his hand free but Nero wouldn’t let him. They stood close, shoulder to shoulder, their tightly pressed bodies obscuring their held hands from view and Nero ran his thumb over his skin. He ached at even this separation between them, desiring his lips again, left to watch V’s stoically drawn face as he tried to remain impassive, image ruined by the colour in his cheeks. It made Nero want to kiss him in front of everyone, shove his hands between the gaps in his jacket and fondle his chest, maybe slip a hand down his pants to feel the soft roundness of his arse or tease a response from his cock.

He’d never cared for cock and yet now he desired it greatly, as long as it was V’s.

Drunk as he was all these little daydreaming violations of wandering hands sparked a frenzy in his mind and pushed him to display their lust before everyone. That is until he considered having to expose V’s wanton debauched expression, the expression only he had a right to see and the notion was curbed. Still, Nero wanted to fuck him more than anything he’d ever set eyes on. No this wasn’t out of nowhere, this had been brewing beneath the surface, hidden behind frustration, misplaced jealousy and a keen anger. He’d always known it was there, but accepting reality was never one of Nero’s strong points.

Fuck, what would his father say? Nero inhaled sharply and V finally looked at him. Fuck, what _would_ Vergil say? No, he never had to know, this was a secret they could both keep.

The taxi pulled up and they separated to slip into the back. As Nero sat down and buckled in V gave their address. Nero searched for V’s hand and struggled with him for a moment as he tried to maintain the distance, eyes wide as they watched the rear-view mirror for the driver gaze. Holding hands was not going to perturb a driver so Nero preserved, eventually feeling V relax, blush on his cheeks heavier now as he looked out the window, brows furrowed. Nero watched him the entire ride, the city lights flickering over his skin, casting flashes of colour that made him look like he was in a cyberpunk film.

He wanted to feel his lips upon him again and gritted his teeth as they got caught in traffic, the time and distance apart getting to him. He felt an utter desperation for V, to feel him against and beneath him, to hear uninhibited sounds falling from that beautiful mouth, his pale body an exposed feast for Nero’s lips and hands. He’d never felt this way about another man though he had never found masculinity unattractive. Yet there was something special about V’s brand of willowy strength, possessing a face that straddled the line between beautiful and powerful, composed of strong angles and prominent features, completed by expressive eyes and full lips. He could lament for hours, his mind’s tongue finally free to say all it had thought of his gorgeous brother. He really was perfect, and for once Nero didn’t hate him for it.

He looked down to where their fingers interlocked. Was he really going to do this; switch from all those bitter negative feelings and cross that forbidden line? His drunken mind was easily convinced to follow the rush of feelings finally released but shouldn’t he be controlling them for the depraved lust they were? Would he regret this once sobriety returned to him or would he want him all the same? Maybe he would want more. Just what the hell was going on between them?

V was silent but the grip of his fingers around his own remained strong and Nero couldn’t help but wonder what he was thinking. It must have been fate that they both desired each other. Could time turn V away from him and bring him to his senses? Nero didn’t want to wait to find out.

The traffic had come to a standstill two blocks from their apartment and with conviction Nero pulled cash out and thrust it towards the driver. “We’ll walk from here, keep the change.”

“Righto.” The driver took the cash and Nero opened his door, ignoring V’s noise of confusion and dragged him out after him.

Without a word Nero broke out into a slow run, feeling V stumble behind him, his gait hindered by intoxication and his leg.

“Nero?”

They were close, so close Nero could almost taste the musk of V’s skin.

“Nero slow down. Nero!”

V wrenched back on his hand and Nero pulled to a stop, turning around to find V panting, free hand clenching the thigh of his damaged leg. He felt a twinge of regret and moved them off the main path to stand under the balcony of a shop front. The warm glow of the shop’s night display played across V’s dewy skin and not a moment after V had caught his breath Nero was pressing him to the window to kiss him deep.

V gave a moan of complaint before sighing into the kiss, free hand lying flat over Nero’s chest. He responded gently to Nero’s fervour, allowing Nero to lead and devour his open pliant mouth. When Nero finally felt he had enough to sate him for the rest of the return home he pulled back and fixed V with a piercing gaze.

“You want this, just as much as I do right? This won’t just go away, we’re doing this cause it matters right?” He asked almost desperately, hand unwilling to relinquish its grip around V’s.

“It won’t just go away for me.” V responded somewhat sadly, tone soft, eyes lowered.

“I promise you V this is the feeling I’ve been chasing to understand between us for god knows how long. I don’t want it to go away either.” Nero pressed his body closer, fitting against the line of V’s body.

V straightened, bringing their faces closer as he slotted neatly against him, a forlorn anxiety to his expression. “I dare not dream that this is real. How can I Nero when I know what this means?”

Nero tried to kiss him again and V pulled his head back. Nero growled and grabbed his hair with his free hand, holding him still as he forced the kiss from him. “I don’t care what this means not when everything finally makes sense.” He kissed him again before stepping back and setting off towards the apartment.

V was silent this time, following along behind him as Nero walked briskly forwards. There was something unbridled to his passion and intent, it was clearly a lot for V to handle, clearly a lot for both of them. Nero’s mind raced torn between lust and actually trying to comprehend the step he was about to take. It was as though V had broken something open inside of Nero, and he couldn’t help but let everything out. All the supressed and muted feelings came to the surface to cloud his reason and fill him with a need that demanded he take V, hold onto him for dear life and ruin him beyond recognition so no one else’s greedy eyes would dare look at him.

And yet still a quieter voice whispered – this is your brother.

Did he really dare crossing that familial line and lie with his brother, at very least the man he’d grown up to see a kin? For all the warm realisations that he had perhaps felt this way about V all along, this was a thing that disgusted people. V had been right – did he really know what this would mean? Secrecy and scorn, V torn from his arms if ever they were caught. Was it enough to stop him from committing this act?

What if this was truly love? Would he give up that chance?

By the time they reached their apartment elevator Nero was a ball of pent up energy, his foot tapping, hands clenching, squeezing around V’s long fingers and V winced, straining to pull away.

“Nero that hurts.” Brows furrowed, green eyes still round, pulling him in.

He raked his gaze over V’s form, the tongue that darted out to lick plump lips, eyes reading and taking in the anxiety Nero exuded. V sighed. “Maybe we should not do – .”

Nero didn’t give him the chance to finish, releasing his hand to slam them against the wall, palms positioned on either side of V’s head. Nero said nothing as his chest heaved and he watched V, feeling the heat of his body sink through their clothes into him. V’s eyes were wide and yet Nero found something to them calling him, a wanton glint that wanted this, perhaps even more than he did. Just how long had V felt this way about him? How had it taken Nero so long to realise?

He couldn’t hide it now, even as V lowered his gaze and looked off to the side Nero caught his chin. He descended slowly towards him, mouth open as if to devour him whole and under his grip V shuddered, lips parting. Suddenly the doors were opening and V’s hands shoved him back to the other side of the elevator. Nero glowered at the person entering the elevator, fingers itching to have hold of V again.

“Hello Mr Kirkwood.” V smiled politely and the older man gave a sleepy smile in return before double taking, eyes raking over V’s outfit.

Nero’s hands curled into fists.

“That’s quite an outfit you’ve got there Vitale. Aren’t you cold?”

Nero knew he wasn’t delusional, there was a curiosity and interest in his neighbour’s eyes and he bit the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from lashing out. How he used to hate the attention V garnered with an almost disgusted jealousy, now that jealousy was realised with an intensity that made him want to tear the poor man in front of him to shreds.

“Only a little, home is not too far away.” V chuckled gently and Nero tilted his head back, closing his eyes to the musical sound.

“You can borrow my coat and return it to me tomorrow.” Mr Kirkwood began shrugging out of his coat, taking a step towards V.

Two things happened rather quickly. Nero kicked the back wall with a resounding crack, stilling the small space and he marched over to V’s side, brazenly hooking a hand around his waist to drag him close.

“He’s plenty warm enough.” Nero growled. No way would he have V smell of the man and return the coat the following day, entering into the den of a man who made such eyes at him.

V hissed his name as Mr Kirkwood studied Nero’s gesture and the feral glint in his eyes before swallowing deeply and slipping the coat back on. Even as their neighbour turned around Nero remained close to V, hand firmly in place. When the doors opened up onto their floor Nero seized V’s hand, dragging him to their apartment and past the bewildered man. Nero didn’t care; fuck the danger of his behaviour, what was a bit of possessiveness between brothers? If Mr Kirkwood thought that was odd and squawked Nero would deny anything happened.

A frown worried V’s face as Nero released him at their door and reached into his pockets for the keys, a tremble to his hands as he tried to slip the key into the lock. He felt V’s breath on his neck as he pressed behind him, hand laying over his own to steady him and finally together they got the door unlocked. Nero hurried in wrenching off his shoes and stood by their bedroom doors, holding his breath as he watched V unbuckle his sandals.

Straightening up V approached him cautiously. “Nero are you ok?”

Their intoxication had begun to wear off and Nero felt a hollow pit form in his stomach as he wondered whether V would call this off and tell him to go to sleep. Dread crawled its way under Nero’s skin, the air heavy with weight of V’s calculation and his reservation. Had V given into the fears Nero mulled over and ignored, V’s voice of reason stronger? How could he be the one to give in when he had claimed this wouldn’t go away from him with such a sad eyes, as though Nero’s feelings were a fleeting fancy? He wouldn’t let him take it back, fuck logical concerns – they were doing this.

Nero took a deep breath, struggling to calm the nervous thrum of his body. “I’m fine.” His fingers flexed, he didn’t want to hear V’s rejection, he couldn’t bear it. He just had to push through it. “My room or yours?” He asked with false confidence, ignoring the way V’s unreadable expression filled him with a bitter fear.

Don’t say it V.

V came to stand before him in the dark, hand reaching out to graze his cheek. “We do not have to do this Nero, maybe it was a mistake.”

There it was.

Nero grabbed the raised hand, pulling it forward to send V stumbling against him. “Don’t you dare say that. I need this – we need this. I want you, don’t you want me?” A wave of insecurity overcame him and he clenched down around V’s wrist, gritting his teeth to hold on to any of the pathetic fears pushing to be uttered. For all V’s words perhaps it had been the alcohol for him and he would now leave Nero in the dark with all these wants and feelings.

V drew a shaky breath. “Nero I – I have wanted you almost since the moment I met you. It has been my greatest sin, but I do not want to drag you into this sordid tryst. You are my little brother and you are drunk.”

Almost since the moment I met you. He’d wanted him that long? Why had he never said? Did he fear rejection all this time, building a wall of distance between them, batting off Nero’s initial attempts to just get to know the strange withdrawn boy? In that rejection Nero had only built the wall higher hiding his confusion and budding interest behind a venomous jealousy. They had honestly danced around this for years and now with it all out in the open V wanted to pack it away again. No fucking way.

Nero lurched forward to sink his teeth into V’s throat, the bite punishing and claiming, the vibration of V’s gasp punching him in the gut. He ripped his head back, pulling the skin slightly with him, producing a low whine from V. “Fuck that, I’m sorry but I don’t care about that, I’ve never felt so clear. I know that I want you and we’ve always been distant to the concept of being brothers. We would have been friends if I wasn’t such a jealous dick all the time, but you never made it easy for me for a reason huh?”

His hands slipped under the edge of V’s jacket, pushing the leather up slowly to slide his fingers over the soft skin of hips, grasping at his back and holding him close. In response V’s hands pressed against his chest, fingers twitching to grasp at his tank top while maintaining the air of holding them apart.

“I knew who I was from a very young age. Having you so close to me, so bright and interested when all I felt was pain, as hard as I tried to push it away, your company became a necessity before I realised. By the time I knew what I felt, it was too late to be undone, but you do not have to be like me – you do not want this Nero, you do not realise what it means for us.” V closed his eyes and hung his head.

Nero growled, wanting those green eyes on him. “I understand what it means V. I want my brother, the man who has been raised as my sibling, the person I’m supposed to trust and protect and be protected by in kind. I’m not allowed to touch the forbidden fruit of the familial tree but I’ll say it again – fuck that. We’ve always been more, I just never realised it. I won’t go back to being just your brother, not after finally making sense of how I feel.”

V looked up at him and Nero searched his eyes, noting the way he bit his lip in a nervous gesture. He wanted to kiss him again, but he had more to say to show him this was right for them. “You’re not alone in this feeling. I’m not going to abandon this for the distance we used to have, returning to a relationship where I had no fucking idea what either of us were feeling.” Nero shook his head. “I always thought I hated you, I always thought you hated me V.”

V’s eyes went wide and the hands on his chest curled to grab at the fabric. “Never! I just – I had to protect you from what I was feeling, but you were always so angry with me, I never knew how to forge a bond with you that was not tainted by my perversion.”

Nero smiled, fingers dragging across the skin of his back. “Well that perversion is ours now, so I’ll ask you again – my room or yours?” He fixed him with a determined look.

V took in a deep breath. “Mine, I have supplies.”

Nero released him and turned, opening V’s door. Looking back at V lingering Nero growled, grabbing his hand and wrenching him forward. Standing in the doorway Nero descended on V’s mouth, tongue running along the seam of his lips. Pressing his back to the door frame he slanted his mouth more deeply across V’s and tasted the dip of his upper lip, feeling the heat of his breath as they slotted together closely. 

The kiss wasn’t gentle but desperate and hard. Nero poured the breadth of his feelings within it, hoping V could feel the weight behind his words and actions. He wanted him and though he didn’t know how to say it he knew – he loved him. The intensity of these feelings, that was all they could mean, god how long had he really loved him? So much time wasted on bitter jealousy. It was as though disguising these feelings for so long had only allowed the strength of them to grow, amounting to something raw and wild.

He tugged at V’s lips, drawing his bottom lip between his teeth, holding it as they pulled apart. Hovering before him his breath came heavy and he watched as V’s closed eyes fluttered open. His mouth was swollen, a beguiling blush high up on his cheeks, those green eyes unfocused and heady with lust. He was so beautiful. The words left unsaid caught in his throat. I love you.

Instead he grabbed him by the shoulders and stumbled them into V’s room hands tugging at the laces of his jacket as he shoved their mouths together again. Dragging the jacket to the ground he urged them closer to the bed, tongue slipping desperately between his lips, every movement laced with need. V’s needy whimper spurned something animalistic within him and Nero swallowed it as he forced V backwards until his knees hit the bed edge and they went down in a heap onto the mattress. Nero didn’t break the kiss, just urged V higher up onto the bed, fingers raking down his chest to pull at the clasp of his belt.

V wrenched himself away for air, Nero’s name tumbling from lips breathlessly and Nero took advantage of his free mouth to kiss and nip his way down V’s chest. He left slick trails behind as he mouthed over the beautiful distinct patterns littering V’s torso, lips closing around a nipple, feeling it pebble and harden against his tongue. V groaned and collapse into dark purple sheets as Nero slipped his pants down strong lean thighs. Nero pulled himself away to take in the sight of V, chest heaving, expression waiting and wanton, pretty cock hard and curling up to attention, a pearl of liquid nestled at the head.

Nero wondered what it would taste like and decided now was the time to find out. Sinking lower he drew him into his mouth and suckled the tip of his cock relishing the choked gasp he got in reward. The skin was soft underneath his tongue and he decided the flavour wasn’t what he expected, strangely mellow but tangy. He never thought he’d be able to do something like this with a man, but V wasn’t just any man, he was V.

Testing it out he opened up his throat and took him further within his mouth, bobbing his head. He’d never seen his brother’s cock hard, only flaccid in moments of walking in on him in the bathroom or bedroom but they were starkly different in shape. V had length on him, that was for sure but he was lean and easy to wrap his mouth around. Taking him to the hilt was a different matter and Nero didn’t even attempt such a feat, content to swallow around him to midway.

“Nero I – you need – I’m gonna cum.” V’s perfect language faltered, colloquial clipped words more common of Nero slipping out.

Nero pulled off and smiled at the moan of discontent this produced, hands holding his hips down as V tried to chase the feeling. He would have V cum with his cock buried inside of him. Straightening up he pulled off his shirt and growled as V licked his lips. The idea that V found him attractive was incredibly sexy and yet made him impatient, his cock straining against the confines of his pants. 

Hopping off the bed he undid his pants and pushed them down. “You better tell me what to do otherwise I’m going to fuck you raw right now.” Stepping out of his pants he wound a hand around his cock, giving it a stroke and V’s eyes focused on the motion, wetting his lips again with a shudder.

V cleared his throat. “My top drawer, there is lube.” His eyes never left Nero’s thick and turgent cock.

Nero nodded and released himself to flick on V’s bedside lamp and rummage through his drawer for anything resembling lube. He came across a purple bottle and smirked at V’s love for the colour. Joining him back on the bed, V parted his legs and Nero groaned at the display of his sex, pink pucker peeking out from between pale cheeks. He honestly thought he’d have more reservation about this, sure he’d had anal sex with girls before but it was never his most favourite thing, often squeamish about the sanitary nature of it. And yet staring down at his brother’s body so open and ready for him, he wanted to fuck himself into that tight heat with abandon.

He forgot himself and dropped the bottle of lube, pressing the tip of his cock to V’s hole and felt it flutter around him.

“Nero hold on, lube!” V stretched up to put his hands on his hips, holding him at bay.  
Nero growled and fixed V with a feral look, watching goosebumps rise over his flesh and V tilted his head to the side baring his neck. Nero took the offering, craning over him and pushing him back into the sheets as he gnawed another love bite into that beautiful alabaster skin. With his mouth still attached to his throat Nero’s hands wandered down his sides and off to retrieve the fallen lube bottle. 

V’s fingers dug into his shoulders as hard as Nero’s teeth on V’s soft sensitive skin and Nero moaned, relishing the pain of it. Coating his fingers in lube he pressed two fingers to the tight furled skin before pushing them in without warning. V’s nails bit in hard enough to draw blood as V sucked in a breath, throwing his head back and Nero released his neck to look down at him, wondering for a moment whether he’d truly hurt him. Holding still he reached up with his other hand to run it over V’s face and neck, feeling the tension coiled in his body.

“V?” He asked in a low voice, unable even now to disguise his impatient need.

V shuddered, body relaxing ever so slightly. “I can handle it, it has not been that long.”

That was not the right thing to say to bring calm to the situation, Nero’s jealousy flaring. He growled and parted his fingers, feeling the soft flesh of V’s insides shift around him, hot and strong as they clamped down. Just how many men had seen V like this, how often had he sought out another knowing he couldn’t have what he wanted? Nero was, as clearly demonstrated by every fibre of his body and behaviour, a jealous man and this realisation that V had of course filled his lust, taking another man’s body within himself resurfaced a violent aggression within him. Scissoring his fingers a few times he withdrew them and poured more lube into his hand to coat his cock.

Holding his thigh with one hand he guided himself against V’s now softer entrance and looked up to lock eyes with V. His lips were pursed, clearly nervous, his body tightly coiled and Nero was able to feel the tension under the soft slip of his skin. They both knew this was rushed but there was a danger to Nero’s icy blue eyes that called for V’s submission.

“You will feel every inch of me.” Nero growled and sunk forward, the flare of his head straining against the rim of his arse before it finally gave way and V hissed.

Nero lost the edge of his possessive jealousy as he was swallowed slowly until he was taken to the hilt, pressed flush up against the taut roundness of V’s arse. He shifted to grab V behind the knees, gearing himself up to pull away from the fluttering heat around him.

“Wait! Please hold on.” V said suddenly, a sheen of sweat over his face and chest.

He said it so prettily Nero couldn’t help but acquiesce despite the thrumming in his body calling him to plow this tight heat enveloping him. He hung his head, able to feel each clench and release around his cock as V struggle to adapt to intrusion or his girth – Nero liked the idea of it being his girth. He gave him a few moments before his impatience got the better of him, slipping out to thrust back in again.

V gasped, his mouth open, hands reaching down to encircle his own thighs and hold them close to his chest. Chasing that delightful sound Nero withdraw again, V’s body baring down on him to keep him within, parting beautifully as he pushed back in. His movements were long and deep, taking himself to the hilt again, watching the way V’s arms shook when he reached this depth.

He let V take the weight of his legs and shifted his hands to stroke lovingly down his pale thighs and along his chest, reaching between his legs to wrap a hand around his pretty cock. As he slipped out and returned, V drawing him in, Nero knew with every fibre of his body that V’s body was made for him, such a snug fit, as if moulded perfectly around him. Every time they joined so completely V’s voice would ring out in a pant or a gasp so low and seductive Nero had half a mind to execute his movements in the aim to chase the sweet sounds down. But something worried the back of his mind – that jealousy again. Had others moulded V’s body to be like this, shaping him to their wants, V chasing the lust of other men to drown out what he could not have?

“How many men have you slept with V?” Nero punctuated the question with a sharp thrust, both hands now gripping his waist and V moaned.

“Many.” He sighed, arching his back to meet the next thrust.

“Many?” Nero growled, increasing his pace. “To hide your lust for me you took them into this body, this body that should have been mine.” In a haze of jealousy the possessive claim of his words barely registered to him, but V’s eyes went wide as though something primal within was satisfied by the possession.

“I never thought this would ever be possible. That you could feel this way too is nothing short of an impossibility.” V’s body jolted with each thrust and his words struggled to remain clear and crisp as he strained his neck back in pleasure.

“And you never thought to test the waters, to tell me you’re gay, to fucking throw caution to the wind and damn well ask me!?” Nero’s hips were pistoning hard and fast now and he groaned at the hot burn of V’s body as he set the punishing pace.

V’s head snapped down, eyes locked with his and Nero could see his eyes begin to water. “Ah! I never meant to…please Nero, I cannot take - ah, too much.” His eyes screwed shut, lips pulled into a grimace.

Nero punished him for a few more thrust before he slowed, slipping between his legs to kiss him again, messy and graceless. Between their bodies V’s cock leaked profusely, leaving slick smears along Nero’s stomach and he smiled. For all his complaints V’s body had felt him, received his passion and found pleasure in his brutality. Kinky.

Pulling away, Nero slipped back and pushed V’s leg down only to raise the other up over his shoulder, twisting his body to the side. He shuddered as V’s arse adjusted around him and Nero slammed forward, a low drawn out groan ripping out of V. Mine he wanted to say, but he couldn’t form the words, only gritted his teeth and buried himself deep, watching V’s cock bob about as his penetration jolted V’s body with every movement.

V was growing closer, Nero could feel it in the vice like strength around his cock and the way he moaned, Nero’s name falling from his lips over and over again in a chant, the syllables overlapping. He pulled his hips back, feel the hot drag over his cock before driving back in with force, a full body shudder reverberating up through his beautiful lover. His lover. That’s who V was now, not just his brother any longer, but his lover and all his.

“No more men V.” Nero slammed his hips forward and relishing the choking moan it pushed out of V. “This isn’t just going to be a one time thing. It won’t go away, I’m going to do this again and again until your body forgets everyone else.” V’s hand came up to grip his dark locks, mouth open and panting as he fucked him deep. “You’re mine now – I won’t let you forget it.”

“Mine!”

V came in that instant, hips jerking forward as his cock shot spurts of cum up onto the dark purple sheets beside him, lungs expanding to draw in deep breaths between sharp gasps. Nero watched him twitch and seize like a live wire beneath him, his tight walls fluttering around him in the aftermath of his orgasm. Baring his teeth Nero drove forward and chased his own arousal. Slamming in hard his orgasm ripped through him and he poured himself inside, V’s body taking his very essence and loving claim on him.

After a few moments, Nero pressed a kiss to V’s knee and lowered his leg. Withdrawing Nero collapsed beside him, mindful of the splatter of V’s release on the sheets and drew in deep breaths, his body humming in the aftermath. V panted, his eyes shut still curled onto his side and Nero felt a warmth fill him at the mussed content expression on his face. Green eyes opened to take him in and Nero frowned as the warmth to them grew conflicted, slowly drawing away from him.

He stretched out to touch his face when suddenly V was sitting up. “I will be back.” He murmured in a low voice, rising to his legs.

Nero watched as he wobbled, body well used and undoubtedly sore as he left the bedroom. He heard him in the bathroom, the toilet and sink sounding. He could imagine the clean up and yet Nero was irritated that V was cleaning his mark on him away so soon. The water shut off, minutes of silence passing and Nero wondered whether he should check on him. Would he find him bent over the sink, panicking over what had just transpired between them? V always did think too much. Nero hadn’t the time to worry like that, once he had decided something he stuck with it, pursuing it relentlessly, but V knew that, and now he had experienced it firsthand.

Nero wouldn’t let V go now. Now V was his.

V finally returned with a wet cloth in hand and soundlessly cleaned down the mess on the bed and Nero studied the way his shoulders seemed to hunch. He was withdrawing from him but not if Nero could help it. As V moved to returned back to the bathroom, Nero launched up to grab the cloth from him and tossed it to the far reaches of the room, looping an arm around his brother’s waist to pull him down into the sheets. V let out an undignified squawk as he landed, his hands searching to find purchase on the mattress and Nero’s arm. Nero continued pulling him until he was sprawled out on the sheets beneath him.

V opened his mouth to say something but Nero silenced him with a gentle kiss. “You’re thinking too much.”

V sighed and shook his head. “You will too once you realise I have forced you into this.”

Nero was dumbstruck for all of 5 seconds before he growled and kiss V again, harder this time. “No you didn’t, if anything I was the forceful party here.”

“I am your older brother, I was never supposed to let my emotions take advantage of you.” Sadness and what looked like self-deprecation filled his eyes and Nero struggled with what to say to chase it away. He couldn’t come up with anything verbose and eloquent, settling on his anger to carry his feelings through to his distraught sibling.

“Will you just shut up? Shut that mind of yours up and get something through your thick pretty head. You didn’t force me, I act on the feelings I found within me, feelings that have always been there, lurking in denial. That was the single most perfect and eye opening moment of my life – stop trying to take my accountability away from me. I chose this V, I chose you.”

V’s eyes widened, stunned for a while before he nodded his head, a small smile on his lips and he raised his head off the sheets towards him, asking a kiss. Nero sighed at the sweet image he made, all ruby lips against pale skin and a demure smile resting there. Nero met him in the middle, hand cupping the back of his head as they kissed slowly, a breath of air between them as they teased each other’s lips.

Parting Nero arranged himself next to V as he shifted up to put his head on the pillow. Nero reached down to lace their fingers together, drawing his hand up to place a kiss against his skin. “How do you feel?” he asked the loaded question, hoping V’s mind had settled down and his body didn’t ache.

V turned on his side to face him. “Well I have not been fucked like that before, but I feel…”

“Sated?” Nero gave a cocky grin.

V smiled wanly. “Conflicted. I have never wanted anything more, but I still feel as though I have dragged you into…sin with me.”

Nero huffed, he was still stuck on this. “None of that matters V, not when we’ve finally found each other, found this!” He raised the hand where they were interlocked and squeezed tightly.

V worried his lip between his teeth. “But father –.”

Nero growled. “Fuck Vergil. Fuck anyone else besides us, anyway they don’t have to find out.”

V hummed. “Kyrie already knows, I may have broken down to her about it. She was amazingly supportive.”

Nero thought back to her rejection of him. We’re not a good match. Not because you’re not amazing, you are but someone else loves you more and it would break their heart. He chuckled. “What she tried to say makes so much sense now.”

V looked like he wanted to ask but something else had his brows furrowed. “Do you still love her?”

“Why, does it make you jealous?”

V’s lip jutted out slightly. “Yes.”

Cute.

Nero rolled over to face him, the arm beneath him rising up to pull at that pouted lip. “I may do, but nothing like how I love you.”

Large green eyes blinked back at him, wide with a wonder that dare not hope. “So this was not just sex?”

Nero shook his head and kissed V’s hand again. “Not for me.”

V sighed and curled forward till his face settled against the crook of Nero’s neck. “Nor I.” He murmured into his skin and Nero smiled, releasing his hand to wind his arms around his back, pulling him close. He released V for a moment as he stretched down to pull the bed clothes over them and turned the light off by the bed. Settling back into his arms, Nero pressed a kiss to dark tresses and closed his eyes.

Never had something so wrong, felt so right.


	3. Chapter 3

_The fingers that moved through his hair were gentle albeit slightly clumsy. It had been so long since someone had touched him like this, since V had let someone touch him like this. It had started a month ago with an ever so brief pat on the head to break the distance between them but Nero had grown bolder in the face of V’s acceptance. It must have been easy to latch on to the one connection that V would allow between them. He had held his distance for months since he had arrived in this strange new house, a place he would now have to see as home._

_V possessed no other family members to take him in and so he was to see this man, so strikingly similar to the man who had pulled him from the mangled wreck of his parents’ car, as his father. The child by his side, similar in age to V would be his new brother and yet it was such a hard concept for him to swallow. His new family, he didn’t want them, he wanted his mother and father back._

_And so in times like these it was easier to imagine the hands running through his hair was his mother’s, long fingers soft and soothing. Only she didn’t pull at a lock of hair and wrap it around her smaller chubby finger. No that was all Nero, and yet V allowed the action all the same. How had they gotten to this point? From an almost condescending pat on the head a month ago, to a brief drag of his hand along the wave of his hair, to this, sitting on the lounge, Nero scooting closer across the cushion to thread his fingers through V’s dark hair, turning his face for better access. V had stared at him in shock before the pleasure of the sensation had forced his eyes closed._

_No he wasn’t supposed to feel this way, he wasn’t supposed to bond – they weren’t his family. And yet they had both been trying so hard to make him feel accepted, Vergil patiently assisting him with his reading, tucking him into bed at night and holding his hand when the whimpers from his nightmares roused him. Nero on the other hand teetered between treating him as competition and a new friend, but V had rarely given him the chance to grow close, absorbed by his own pain and frustrated at the happy exuberance he exuded in everything he did. V had never been an outgoing child but the accident had changed him, turning him in on himself and he lost himself in nurturing the wound of grief and woe within him._

_He had been mucking around with his mother, playing a stupid eye-spy game down the darkened road – had he distracted his father and caused the accident? The question plagued him, cursing him, forcing him to forbid himself the pleasure of growing comfortable in his new home. So he pushed them away, as hard as he could muster and yet here Nero was, just hours after a fight over the TV, touching him with a tenderness he did not deserve. Would it be so bad to allow this family into his heart, to have a father and brother? He had never had a sibling before. Wouldn’t it be fun to be the older brother and care for this bright blue-eyed child? He was young, only just eight years old, surely he deserved to be happy, to let the pain go and open his heart up?_

_He opened his eyes up to see Nero only a foot away, his eyes closed, a warm smile on his face. How was doing this to V making him so happy? At least Nero would never leave him to be alone again. His face was young and round, white hair sticking up at all angles, the light from the window streaming through his locks and across the planes of his face. Suddenly V’s breath caught as his heart stuttered and heat flooded his cheeks._

_Wait. He couldn’t possibly…no, not again._

_He had felt this way before, he knew what it meant but please no, anyone but him. V felt his eyes sting and tried to pull back but Nero paused in his ministrations to wrap his arms around him and buried him into his breast. V’s hands seized hold of Nero’s shirt and he tried again to push out of his grip but Nero’s fingers were winding through his dark waves again, his touch so soothing and loving._

_Why did it have to be him? How could V have done this again? He had been scolded by the school the first time he’d kissed a boy on the playground – he knew what it made people think of him, their confusion, their disgust. But this was the boy meant to be his brother. He may not have understood what was so wrong about him liking boys but to like his sibling in this way…that was sin._

_Suddenly he pushed hard, launching himself to the other side of the lounge. Panting he tried to will the blush to die down. “Stop it.” He ordered._

_Nero frowned, a pout turning at his mouth. “But you like it.”_

_Too much. V shook his head and braced himself for cruel words. “It’s disgusting. Never do it again.”_

_Nero recoiled, hands clenching into fists and he looked down at his knees but not before V saw the glimmer of tears in his eyes. V’s heart ached, beating a panicked staccato under his ribs. Months ago he wouldn’t have cared about giving Nero pain, determined to push him away, but now under the light of that growing warmth within him he wanted to take his words back, crawl into his arms and settle against him. But he wasn’t allowed to feel this way, not about Nero. This blooming feeling within him was disgusting and if Vergil ever found out, he’d be cast out._

_Maybe it was what he deserved._

_He left Nero there, shoulders shaking in the agony of V’s rejection and made his way to his room, curling down on his bed. Please let it go, don’t feel that way. Anyone but him…please. Control yourself V, stop it! But the rapid beat of his heart would not settle, Nero’s happy face looming behind his eyes. He had the sickening feeling he would not be free of this and it caused him nothing but despair._

\--------

V’s life took an interesting turn, one he felt was for the better albeit more dangerous and risky. Days turned into weeks and V wondered perhaps they really could do this, live this tender balance. At University they were the same, bickering and bitter, Nero fond of insulting his interests and looks. Yet sometimes his hand would brush up against his, fingers curling around V’s and V couldn’t help but shudder into the touch so chaste and forbidden. At home Nero kissed him gently, whispering sweet nothings into his ear, undoing all the damage of the day’s pretence, taking his body slowly in the build up and then fast and hard, fucking him the way they both liked it.

He had tried to slow the relationship down, to have a conversation in depth that would sooth the concerns in his mind and bring awareness to their situation but Nero was fervent in his avoidance of the problems their current path was hurtling them towards. V was weak, distracted by his brother’s passion and romantic actions, lured into escaping from the discomfort he felt in favour of kisses and sex. And yet Nero’s appetite was insatiable and ignorant of all danger, brazenly taking the opportunity when the campus was mostly cleared of students to push him against surfaces in a little nooks. Despite how much V enjoyed his touch, the excitement of the risk they were taking was always overshadowed by the genuine fear that they would be caught. But Nero’s hands were always insistent, slipping up his shirt to tease and twist at his nipples, mouth latched onto his neck to update the most recent love bite – Nero’s claim to the world that V was taken.

They haven’t been caught…yet.

Speaking of being claimed by Nero, his little brother had nearly thrown V’s phone out when he realised the extent of the messages V received on the gay dating app he used. It wasn’t much of a dating app, mostly used for hook-ups but when Nero saw the copious amounts of dick pics V received and the seductive photos V had posted that showed off the litany of ink covering his body, nipples bare, mouth open and eyes wanting he’d spent the afternoon figuring out how to shut down the profile. V had let him do so with little resistance, more than happy enough to be claimed as Nero’s now. He especially like the aggression Nero’s jealousy gave him as he pounced on him after removing any trace of V from the app.

Nero was always watching him, and yet V didn’t feel like a performance, he felt loved, the image of him something so adored and desired by Nero. To be wanted by Nero so much filled V, the swell of emotions he had been struggling with for years rising to the surface; he loved Nero, more than anything. He would take his whims and sexual fantasies in stride and bear them with this body that Nero loved so much. He would take his strength and his dominance within himself again and again and know what it felt like to be owned.

This receptiveness of V’s had led them to their, or perhaps his, current predicament.

His wrists ached as the school tie tightened around him with each shift and adjustment he made. His elbows were pressed into the pillow, head hanging down, mouth opening wider with each thrust he received. His jeans hung around his knees, slipping on the mattress as he tried to meet the demand of Nero’s movements. Body aching, he trembled as Nero struck deep inside him, grazing over the place of pleasure within him. He couldn’t control the stream of pants and garbled syllables that sounded like Nero’s name spilling from him in a chant.

Nero’s hands tightened around his hips, dragging him back to meet each thrust and he moaned as they joined deeply to the hilt. His body clenched down on the obtrusion, feeling the weight and heat of Nero’s cock fill him.

He gave a loud groan, raising his head. “Nero…”

“Mmm fucking beautiful. You should see yourself V. The way you swallow my cock, your body is fucking made for this, made for me.” Nero growled, sinking in slowly, no doubt watching the way his body parted and grabbed for him.

His words burned their praise within, meeting the pleasure he drove into his body. It made V shudder, the air in the room difficult to hold onto and he felt the hyperventilating flutter in his chest as he arched his spine, raising his arse higher, chasing the lust Nero pooled in him. No partner before Nero had him feeling so wanted, so desired and adored. In every partner he had taken to his bed he had been searching for this, for someone who craved him this deeply – he had been searching for Nero. Who knew that all his expectations would actually be met by the one he loved the most?

“You feel so good.” Nero ground forward with precision, the head of his cock stabbing at the bundle of nerves within him that made white light dance behind his eyes. A loud uninhibited moan ripped from his chest leaving his breath ragged and almost whimpering in its place as Nero abused the spot within.

“I love those noises you’re making V.” He purred, hands releasing his hips to slip up his back and drag down again, nails biting in ever so slightly. V gasped at the sensation as Nero pounded forward, his back curling up like a cat’s before dropping down to offer himself to Nero. His hands and wrists hurt and he could feel every drag of Nero’s body, the lube beginning to dry, but all he could hear was the sound of his voice in his head. Fuck me. Take me. Love me. Hurt me. Fill me. Fulfil me. Fuck me please.

The last one slipped out of his mouth and he could practically hear the smirk in Nero’s voice. “Of course baby.”

“You’re so good to me, you feel fucking amazing but we probably need a little more of this.” V heard the cap of the lube bottle and heard a brief inhalation of air as it sounded as though Nero poured it directly onto his cock. The bottle dropped back to the bed and V heard the slick sounds as he coated himself down.  
Before he felt the press of his head against him, slick fingers were slipping inside, moving around with vigour. “You’re so wet for me baby, you feel how your nice pretty hole is clenching down around me? You want my dick again don’t you?” Nero growled and V released a trembling sigh. He was delaying, V need more, so much more than he could handle it.

“Nero please.” He begged much to his shame.

“So needy,” the fingers slipped out and Nero’s cock returned, pressing it way in deep. “Would you still be begging me if dad came home right this minute?” He snapped his hips forward and V keened in delight as pleasure ran through him. He had almost forgotten that they were home for the weekend, trussed up in Nero’s childhood room, Nero’s old school tie wrapped around his wrists.

“I don’t think I could stop even if he walked into the bedroom. He’d find us here, me mounting you hard, you taking me deep like a bitch in heat.” Nero’s movement grew fast and unrelenting, thrusting into him with abandon and V felt his orgasm build despite – no, because of Nero’s filthy words.

They filled V with trepidation but Vergil was at work for a weekend meeting, he wouldn’t be home till two, but what was the time now, how long had they been doing this? He gasped as Nero rubbed over the nerves inside him, his abandoned cock struggling to cum without attention. Shit what if it was nearly two?

“It might be two V,” Nero teased clearly thinking the same thing. “Do you care, cause I don’t? I’ll fuck you until he hears your screams from the fucking office. He can find us for all I care and see how good you take your brother’s cock.” V was panting now, his body jolting forward at the force of Nero’s penetration. “He’ll know as soon as he sees you just as well as I do, you were made for this cock.” 

“Nero.” V all but whined.

“Fuck V I’m gonna cum.” The hands on his hips dug in deep enough to leave bruises. “Can you hear us, that wet sound as I take you?”

“Nero…ah, touch me, please.” V begged again, this time too lost to lust to feel the shame, burning with a hunger and screaming need to feel Nero fill him.

“I got you baby.” Nero pressed over his back, lowering him down without breaking the strength of his thrust, a hand winding underneath V to grasp his cock.

V nearly came then and there, so deprived of touch throughout the intercourse that he had been left to helplessly linger on the edge. There was something torturous and yet alleviating about being constrained, it made him feel as though he was being punished and at the same time almost taken by force; it was exhilarating.

Nero’s hand was working over him, his body teetering so close to orgasm when he heard it. The distinct sound of the front door.

“Nero what was that?” V asked, terror lacing his words.

“I told you I don’t care.” Nero growled, punctuating his words with a sharp thrust and V groaned despite himself.

“Nero we have to stop, he is home.” V pleaded, the fear and tension somehow ushering his orgasm even closer as Nero’s hand moved over him expertly.

“No.” Nero bit down on his shoulder blade, hips slamming against him. “You will cum for me.”

“Nero, fuck, we cannot get caught!” V tugged at the tie binding around his wrists.

“Then cum for me. I already told you I don’t care.” Nero’s hand moved over him in time with the penetration of his cock and V felt tears prick at his eyes. The threat of being caught had its allure but Nero didn’t seem to realise the gravity of what it would mean. Vergil had always been a stern father but to come upon V corrupting his son…there was no telling what he might do.

Nero didn’t give him the time to think on it, his hand twisting over his cock and V choked back a loud moan that threatened to reverberate around their childhood home. Nero abused his insides, a well aimed thrust striking his prostate and he jolted, cum shooting across the sheets. V sunk into the pillow and panted as Nero followed his own orgasm and V could feel the way he fluttered around his cock as though trying to milk him of every drop. He could feel the slickness trickle along his insides and whimpered as Nero pulled out.

Suddenly his hands were being released and Nero moved about the room quickly, rearranging his clothes, slipping the lube inside his bag and hiding the tie. Through the haze of release and exhaustion, V could hear footsteps coming up the stairs. He pushed himself up off the sheets and dragged a blanket over his cum stains on the bottom sheet. His hands shook as Nero moved into his space to drag his shirt over his head and pull up his jeans. As V buckled his pants up Nero played with his black hair, straightening it out from the mussed mess it was.

“Boys?” Vergil called from the other side of the door.

Nero quickly swept down and gave V a kiss. “Everything is going to be fine.” He took a step back and left V sitting dopily on the bed edge, body hot and humming in the aftermath of their sex. Nero watched him fondly before he took a deep breath. “In here dad.”

The door opened slowly and V’s head shot up to watch it. Would he know something was amiss? Would he say anything or just silently deduce? Had they missed something that would give them away? How had V been so stupid to have sex with his brother in their father’s home? Too be fair he had objected and that was why he wound up with his hands tied to the bed head. He felt a bead of sweat trickle along his temple and clenched his fingers together as they hung between his legs. Vergil was going to take one look at him and know something was wrong if he didn’t hurry up and do something.

He straightened up as Vergil entered the room, taking a quick breath and offered a wry smile. “Hello father.”

“Hey dad.” Nero chirped.

Vergil frowned and scented the air. “What are you doing up in here?”

V froze, he hadn’t thought that far. Nero thankfully, had.

“Reminiscing over the uniforms we had to wear at the fancy school you sent us to.” Nero pulled out the crumpled blue stripe tie and V paled.

Vergil raised an eyebrow. “St. Alberts was a prestigious school offering the best education.”

Nero scoffed. “Which only V took advantage of.”

Vergil seemed to study them then and V looked down at his hands, fearful his eyes would give him away. “You’re quiet V, did you fight again?” Vergil took a step closer.

Nero moved partially in front of him obscuring V from view and part of him was grateful though the rest of him screamed not to be so obvious. “Yeah you know me, V was always such a show-off at school and at home, hard not to pick a fight over who was the golden boy.” Nero’s tone was too casual, lacking the usual venom and hostility when he spoke of such things.

V peered around his hip to see Vergil frowning again. “I love my sons equally, your strengths are different, that is always something to revere. Dante and I were always very different, especially in our youth, much like you and V now.”

Nero laughed. “I can’t imagine you were exactly like how me and V are.”

V’s eyebrow twitched, just where did he think he was going with that – did he want to expose them?

Vergil crossed his arms. “You’d be surprised.” He sighed. “Come down stairs, I brought some pastries.”

V rose off the bed and they began to follow him when Vergil stopped suddenly by the door, breathing in deeply. “The room must be musty. Open the windows and air it out, it stinks in here.”

V coloured and Vergil studied him, brows pinched together as Nero doubled back to open the windows. Suddenly his gaze dropped down to his wrists and as V followed his line of sight he realised red and purple marks had formed there. He coughed and shifted his hands behind him.

“How was work?” He tried to change the mood, wishing he was wearing something long sleeved. His nerves had passed and his grounded sensibilities were returning, aided by the fact that they had gotten through the initial conversation unscathed and unnoticed. But there was no denying that Vergil had caught sight of V’s wrists; would he bring it up? What would V say if he did?

V fell into a menial conversation over his father’s work, too absorbed by his inner dialogue to pay too much attention, though he did try. Nero caught up with them at the bottom of the stairs and as Vergil entered the kitchen for plates V felt a hand cup his arse, fingers slipping low to find the wet spot and push up. The fabric pressed against his slick hole and V gave a muted gasp, pushing out with his arms to thrust Nero away from him. They had a conversation at a distance with their eyes as V panted and glared, Nero’s smirk hungry and impish.

Didn’t he realise the implications of his actions? Did he care so little for the consequences of if they got caught? V would rather have Nero in his life, returned to the distance of a sibling then lose him forever. God had he just thought that? And yet he truly wouldn’t risk being excommunicated from this family, never to see Nero’s smiling face again. He needed to know Nero took the threat of being found out seriously, no more games, no more walking the dangerous line that alluded to the truth – they had to be serious about this if it was going to work.

Vergil entered the dining room and surveyed them as they stood at a wide distance, making eyes at each other. V straightened and turned to his father hoping that he hadn’t seen anything untoward in their gazes. He had to get himself under control – how did he use to behave? Ah that’s right – defending himself from Nero’s irritation with tooth and claw. Only there was no aggression to defend himself from now, their usual behaviour was out of sync and it was blatantly uncharacteristic. Please let Vergil not notice.

But it was clear Vergil had something else on his mind as they sat down to eat the assortment of pastries he had brought home. As V and Nero had a mild war over the custard apple Vergil’s eyes focused on V’s hand, or more importantly V realised, his wrist.

Nero gave up the fight and Vergil raised an eyebrow at the kindness. “You should put some ointment on those before they chafe.” He took a small bite out of a cinnamon Danish.

V froze, the custard apple pastry an inch from his mouth. “Sorry?” Please don’t be talking about what he thought he was talking about.

“You’re bruising, tell your partner to go easier on you.” Vergil replied almost nonchalantly.

Across the table Nero looked sheepish and V struck out to kick him. Vergil sighed as Nero spluttered and dropped his pastry. Nero threw a glare at V, mouthing opening to admonish but Vergil coughed drawing the table’s attention and V swallowed deeply as icy blue eyes settled back on him.

“This is as good of an opportunity to bring this up. When will you be bringing your boyfriend round to meet me?” Vergil’s expression was unreadable but calm.

V blinked back slowly and cast at glance at Nero whose mouth hung open. “I do not have a boyfriend father.” Was all V could think to say.

Vergil sighed. “I suppose this is my fault, I never really came across as accepting of same-sex relationships but if you’ve found someone you love V, I can accept them.”

Would you really? There was no way despite his kind words that he would accept him and Nero, and V was stupid to even entertain he thought. “I am not lying Vergil, I do not have a boyfriend.”

Vergil frowned and dusted off his fingers. “You don’t have to lie, Mrs Holdrok saw you kissing a boy in front of his apartment.”

V’s stomach reached his throat for a moment as he feared he and Nero had been caught kissing. Only it wasn’t Nero, just a mindless hook up. This was not going to be a good conversation. He looked to Nero and took in the way his hands clenched on the table, possessive jealousy rising. He had to tread carefully.

“He was not my boyfriend just…just…” Shit saying this out loud to either of them was a bad idea. He coughed. “He was just a fling.”

Vergil’s frown deepened. “And do you have many flings?”

V blushed and Nero made a low noise in the back of his throat. “Not anymore, not if I can help it.” Nero responded, beating V to the punch and V glared at him.

“I will do what I want.” V spat, eyes warning Nero to back down before he said something neither of them could take back.

The table shuddered as Nero shot to his feet. “Not that, taking strange men into your bed, letting them fuck you – they don’t care about you not like I – .”

“Just shut up!” V was standing now too, shoulders shaking as he pressed his hands down into the wood. “You never think, you just say whatever you what to. I am free to do I want. If I want to let strange men fuck me then I will fucking well let them fuck me.” He didn’t even know why they were fighting about this, he was Nero’s wasn’t he, so why was he fighting for this freedom? Was it for appearance sake, surely it had to be and yet he hated the words spilling from him. Just let it go Nero, let this be the last said about it and we can move on. 

Vergil needed to believe this, to believe this as a fight for an independence he didn’t want, he needed to be distracted from the words that almost slipped from Nero’s mouth. V stared at Nero, his eyes pleaded, but once again Nero showed that he cared little for the consequences.

“I think I’ll gag you next time instead of just tying your wrists.”

V’s world slowed down, even as he saw the look of understanding cross Nero’s face and they both turned to Vergil. Icy blue eyes were wide and they flicked down to stare at V’s wrists before looking upstairs, face paling. The room was dead silent and V trembled. How could he have just said that? What the hell was he thinking? Oh god they were so fucked. He was never going to see Nero again.

His hands couldn’t hold him up any longer and he collapsed back into his chair, Nero moving to approach him before Vergil inhaled sharply through his nose. Nero stopped in his tracks, staring at V in concern before turning to his father cautiously.

“I think it would be best if you returned to the apartment Vitale.” Vergil’s tone was composed and even, but he never used V’s full name, not in years.

V was cold and as he nodded he realised he could barely feel his limbs, a numbness settling in. He stumbled as he rose to his feet and again Nero moved to aid him which only sent Vergil rising out of his seat, stilling both their movements. They looked at him tentatively and saw something indecipherable swarming behind his eyes. V swallowed deeply and moved away to collect the keys to their shared car from the key bowl, bending down to grab his saddlebag. As he straightened he felt a wave of nausea and braced himself on the wall, heaving in deep breaths. He was having a panic attack; he hadn’t had one of those since a few years after the accident. He just had to hold onto it, he had to get home first.

“V…” Nero’s voice was soft and V heard his approach.

“Nero!” Vergil’s voice rung out, clear and authoritative, carrying a warning with it.

“But -.”

“If you ever want to see him again you’ll stay right there.” Vergil ordered and V flinched at the weight behind it. He at least was considering letting them see each other again. Would V have to move out? Did he perhaps mean that they would it simply be free to meet at University? Would he be excommunicated from the family, the unwanted stray? There is no way he’d let them continue their relationship. V’s heart shrivelled as he pulled on his shoes. 

He felt their eyes on him and the urge to throw up surged. Nero would never touch him again. He felt the sting of tears as his lungs tightened, constricting the air within. Opening the front door, the breath of fresh air did little to calm the rapid beat of his heart.

“I’m so sorry V, I’m such an idiot V. I love you, I love you V.” Nero cried and he glanced back to see Vergil holding his son at bay.

The tears fell and he mouthed his reply. I love you too. 

The door swung shut between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh dearie me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been awhile guys, so sorry about that, everything is really crazy here in Aussie land after so much disaster that I've just been so occupied and stressed, but here you finally go~

_I can’t listen to these stupid songs._ Voices whined at him from Spotify, songs on repeat doing nothing but reminding him that Nero was gone.

They had had a month of happiness, of freedom to revel in their love. Kyrie had been overjoyed for them and even teased to be Nero’s girlfriend as a cover. The idea had been amusing though a strike of jealousy had filled V. If only he could have claimed Nero as his own to the world, to be allowed to touch him, to hold him in public. Had Nero shared his thoughts, frustrated by the restraint required of them? Had that been what spurned Nero to act so rashly, hearing about V’s open past with other men, leaving him feeling like the hidden partner, their relationship incomplete. V would have screamed it from a top any building if only it had posed the risk of losing him all together. And yet here they were anyway, suffering from Nero’s possessive nature and V’s neglect.

V sat with his legs folded underneath him, dressed only in his black briefs and a T-shirt that wasn’t his. The black fabric was soft from favouritism, slipping across his skin, hanging low on his collar bones to brush against his thighs. He caught the front of it, raising it up to breath in its scent. It smelt like their washing liquid but there was a scent so distinctly Nero, musky and warm, perfumed by the occasional cologne he liked to wear, the one V got him for his birthday. V breathed in deeply and sighed.

The apartment was quiet and Nero hadn’t been seen at University either. A fortnight had passed and yet V had heard nothing, no more apologies from Nero, no goodbyes, no warnings that he had to stay away from his son from Vergil or demands that he leave the apartment. Nothing. There was a time when he would have relished his independence and this silent apartment but now, now he didn’t know how to be alone.

He didn’t want to waste any more days, he wanted to stop saying that he was ok. He’d wallowed and paced, forgone eating and gorged himself. He’d felt cold and numb, and felt everything at once, emotions screaming through him to leave his insides raw and torn in their flurry. He just wanted this to be over, he couldn’t take the pain of not knowing. He was struggling to hold on. 

_I’m still listening to these stupid songs._ He was supposed to be studying, instead he moped and shuffled about his room like he didn’t know where this had all went wrong. He should have tried harder to make it clear to Nero the danger of revealing their relationship. Instead he had played with that danger, enjoying the thrilling trepidation it offered, the heat of Nero’s promise that it would do nothing to keep them apart.

And yet here they were.

In all the years he had known Nero, he had never seen him have a significant partner. He had expected so much from someone who had just found love. V had been dealing with his feelings for Nero for over a decade. Nero, for all his bravado and flirtatious nature, had next to no experience with serious relationships and a significant degree of emotional immaturity. He shouldn’t have expected that his little brother could keep his passion and jealousy in check. V should have remained in control, instead he’d gotten upset and crumbled under the pressure.

This was all his fault.

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He tried to operate without him, but even University was getting to him, Kyrie’s gentle inquiries over whether he’d heard anything from Nero grating on him more than it should have. Whenever he was stressed or overwhelmed he usually sought out sex but not only had Nero deleted his profile and app, the mere idea of sex with someone who wasn’t Nero repulsed him. Nero had laid claim to him, after years of V pining and holding onto the flame for him, Nero had taken him and wrapped him in love and lust. He had made V’s body fit for only him, V wouldn’t, couldn’t take anyone else. And yet without him V was highstrung, turning to the only comfort he could think of; masturbation.

He tried to imagine Nero’s hands as he ghosted his fingertips over his skin, biting his lip, imagining the rush of Nero’s breath as he took his bottom lip between his teeth. But the hand on his cock felt wrong, the long thick phallic piece of silicone cold and hard within him. He wanted Nero. He wanted him for more than sex, he wanted his arms around him, his lips pressed against him. He wanted the man he loved.

Somehow he managed to find a perfunctory orgasm, his body spasming around the silicone length, cum cooling where it pooled on his belly. He wished he could say he felt better but the endorphins running through him did little to distract him from the wish that the object within him was Nero. V closed his eyes and could almost imagine the heat of him against him, a broad grin on his face just hiding behind V’s eyes, if only he opened them, perhaps he would find him there.

When he opened his eyes he found only the darkness of his room and sighed, dragging himself to his feet to go shower. Cleaning up he neglected the grumbling of his stomach to curl under the covers, willing sleep to carry him to a day when Nero had returned to him. Sleep crept its way upon him while he twisted and keened over his loneliness, bitter acid burning the back of his throat in the clawing panic attack that followed him into his dreams. 

He floated in the looming black of oblivion, every moment and memory of Nero on playback and he long for mindlessness, if only to rid himself on the anxiety snapping at his heels.

His wish was granted as he was dragged away from the thoughts sharing a moment of complete vacant freedom before he was tossed around like a limp doll on a deadly rollercoaster, the sound of metal crushing, screeching in his ears, a woman’s scream echoing.

_He wakes to the sound of sobbing, a blinding hot pain coursing up the side of his body. Something sticky trickled down his face and he raises his hand to touch it. There’s a sharp sting as soon as he makes contact but also a realisation that the rest of his body feels numb, even the hand now in motion. He casts a look at his fingers as the come away, stain bloody as they tremble and only then did he take in his surroundings, the memory of bright headlights and impacting metal bringing awareness to his young mind._

_They were upright at least, a small mercy but from his position behind the passenger seat he could see his father isn’t moving, slumped over the driver’s wheel. He finally registers the crying, its his mother, but he can’t see her. Her chair has been shoved back to crush the person behind it…him. That was the source of the heat travelling up his side, below the knee he is pinned, rendering him helpless. Fear wraps his claws around him and all of a sudden he wants to vomit, panic rising._

_“Mumma.” He whimpers, unable to crane himself around to see. His mind rambles through all manner of fear and he just needs her to make it all go away. “Mumma.” His voice is wavering now and he gags as the panic chokes him._

_“Vitale.” Her weak voice croaks and brings with it a relief that only children know. “Baby are you ok?” She sounds frightened and it not an emotion he’s ever heard from her._

_“I – ,” he tests out his body’s movement and realises, pinned and all, his leg is also slow to respond, the main part of him securely trapped. “I can’t move my leg.”_

_She draws a shuddering breath and he just wants to see her, tears stinging his eyes. Something else is stinging his eyes he realises as fumes cloud the air, the light of a fire playing across the macabre scene from the bonnet. They were going to die._

_“Mumma!” He cries in fear._

_“It’s ok baby, you need to be big boy for me. You need to get yourself free, but focus baby, be calm.” Her voice sounds distance, lacking any strength and he tramples down on the fear that makes him want to ball. He had to get free and save her._

_He braces his other foot on the broken chair and pushes, using his hands to angle his unresponsive leg out. He is starting to feel dizzy, the fumes thick enough to form a cloud around them. Finally he pries his leg free, revealing a mangled piece of flesh, all exposed bone and seeping blood. His mother has grown quiet, he needs to see her, to know that she is ok. Dragging the wounded leg behind him the pain is almost unbearable as he crawled onto the centre box between his parents’ seats. Something in him froze as he gazes into beautiful green eyes, so like his own, and finds them blank and unseeing._

_She wasn’t…she couldn’t…_

_Her hair is strewn over her face and he reaches out to touch a honey brown strand, watching it slip between his fingers. “Mumma…Papa.” His gaze wanders between the corpses of his parents, the image of them blurring as spots enter his vision and he slumps back down into the seat._

_Suddenly the left door is wrenched open and a face looms in the space. V blinks back at the stranger, his hair white, face drawn tight in concern. Why was his hair white? A giddiness has taken hold of V and he feels as if he is miles away. The man doesn’t bother to give the rest of the car a once over, simply launching forward to grasp V firmly and drags him out. He screams as the rough treatment bashes his leg on the doorframe, the numbing heat replaced with searing agony._

_Weak and foggy V taps his hand on the man’s shoulder, the movement sluggish. “Mumma, Papa, inside.” He can only manage the few words and the man ignores him, rushing away from the accident with fervour._

_They make it a few metres before there is a deafening boom as the car explodes, throwing the man off his feet. He drops and curls around V, protecting him from the blast. As he pulls back V stares up at the stranger, eyes wide as he hears the metal buckle and crackle, unable to escape the smell of burning flesh. He tries raising his body to confirm his fears with his own eyes but the man holds him down, sorrow and understanding in his blue eyes._

_“I’m sorry kid.” His voice is low and sombre against the roar of the fire._

_V can’t even manage words and simply cries and wails. He screams for the burning corpse, willing them to come back, to undo the last hour and return them home safely, all of this just a bad dream._

V woke with a scream, sweat pouring down his face and he trembled and shook as he reached for the light. He waited for the footsteps, Vergil or Nero coming to consoled him but the apartment was empty. He was alone.

And perhaps that way he would stay.

He curled down onto his side with a whimper, hands clutched to his heart to willing it to steady but it continued to drum a rhythm of pain and fear and V can’t control the wail that tore from his throat.

“Nerooo.”

\--------

Nero woke with a start, mind aching and heart racing. He knew something was wrong, down to his bones. V needed him. He dressed quickly, stuffing his most urgent belongings in his backpack before picking the lock on his bedroom door. It had always been a means of control for Vergil when they were kids, that or punishment but now it really was imprisonment. Night after night he had tried to escape, to get back to V, but bobby pins were not as handy as the movies made it seem.

Vergil had bolted his windows and kept the house on lock down during the day. It had taken ages for Vergil to trust him again after he made a bolt for it early on into this torture. Who would have known his fucking old man could outrun him and tackle him to the ground. Vergil was insistent almost fanatically so, determined to keep them apart.

Nero had tried reasoning with his old man, he really did but Vergil feared Nero had been coerced, that he was a victim to V’s perversion and of course he feared the impact that his son’s being in love would have on his reputation. They had fought bitterly, day in day out, but nothing painted it any clearer than that very day Vergil had sent V home.

_Vergil’s eyes had a fury to them that Nero remembered shying away from in his youth, but not now. Nothing his father could say would change how he felt; he was a lost cause, willing to subjugate himself before the power and beauty that was V. They sat across from each other at the table and Nero’s eyes wandered to the seat V had occupied only moments ago._

_“I forbid it.” His father’s words were short, to the point._

_“I love him.” Nero stated calmly, V always said he needed to be more level headed, more rational and here he would prove it. He had failed him in so many other ways, but here he wouldn’t, not where it counted, he would fight for them._

_“This is not what you want; you are young and far more impressionable than I’d given thought. V’s lifestyle and behaviour has influenced you in the worse way.” Vergil’s fingers rapped over the table, a clear sign of his agitation._

_“Don’t you dare blame this on V.” Nero spat._

_“I love him as a son but his perversion has dragged you into this disgusting tryst of incest and I will not allow it.” Vergil’s voice had started to rise, his ice blue eyes dangerous._

_Nero’s anger was rising, finding so many thing wrong with the crap his father was sprouting. “Don’t you fucking dare. There is nothing wrong with being gay, it’s not perverse what decade are you from? And we only ever raised brothers, he’s not my blood and now he is more than just my sibling.”_

_Vergil gritted his teeth, fingers curling into a fist to slam onto the table. “This isn’t what you want, time away from him will prove that. You will stay with me here until you see things more clearly.”_

_Nero gripped the ends of his hair. “Stop telling me what I want. Didn’t you hear me Vergil, I love V. I want V!”_

_Vergil’s expression changed to one of pity. “No you don’t, he has misled you, Nero you are a victim here.”_

_Nero shot to his feet, fists clenched and glared down at his father. “I kissed him first; I held him close and chased away his fears that this was wrong, that you would reject us. At each point I led him and pushed him down into the sheets where we made love.”_

_Vergil shook his head, hand raised to cup his face. “Stop it Nero.” He growled. “I’ll not listen to your sordid deeds, you are my son, you were seduced.”_

_Nero barked a laugh. The old man was delusional. “At every point I took advantage of his gentleness and fucked him hard till I made him mine.”_

_Vergil slammed his hands on the table. “Stop it! Nero you are my son and you will listen to what I’m telling you.”_

_“Isn’t V your son too?” Nero shot back._

_Vergil lifted his nose. “Vitale is my son, but you are my priority. You are the child of my blood.”_

_It was what he always wanted to hear, to know that he was prized above V, and yet now it made him physically sick. “That’s fucked up. Do you hear the words coming out of your mouth?” Nero’s hands shook, overwhelmed by the urge to strike his father. “You claim I’m more important because I’m your blood relative, that fucked up familial duty you so love. Well if V isn’t our blood relative then there should be no issues us being together!”_

_“It’s not acceptable Nero.” Vergil snarled._

_Nero sneered, disgusted by the man who was his blood. “It’s not even incest, just unseemly in your eyes.”_

_“And in the eyes of the public, Nero do you know how this could affect me?” Vergil stood up and pushed his chair in. He had clearly decided the conversation was ending._

_Nero baulked, still fired up. “Is that all you care about? For fuck sake I love V, that’s not going away, even if you keep me here forever.”_

_Vergil hummed. “We’ll see.”_

Every day they had gone around in circles, neither of them budging, both as stubborn as each other. But this was a different day, tonight the bobby pin would not break, Nero would find his way out of this hell hole. So he fiddled and strained with the pin and lock, holding his breath for his success. It was unceremonious, he didn’t do anything different but it was as though the universe knew V needed him and the bobby pin gave a satisfying click.

Easing his door open carefully he crept around the landing and down the stairs. The door was in sight, just slip past the dining room and then he’d be free. Or would have been had Vergil not been exiting the kitchen into the dining room with a glass of milk in one hand and a cookie in the other.

Nero froze, mind rambling at him to make a run for it. Would Vergil have time to place everything down on the table and catch him? Nero groaned internally, he didn’t want to wait to find out.

“Hi dad.” Nero said cautiously.

“Hello Nero.” Vergil replied slowly. “Got yourself out of your room I see.”

Nero glared. “It’s not normal to imprison you over-aged son Vergil.”

“It’s not normal to fuck your adopted brother Nero.” Vergil deadpanned.

Nero licked his teeth. “Touché.”

They stared at each other for moment and Nero’s eyebrow twitched at the casual way Vergil took a sip of his milk. Nero rubbed his face. “He needs me dad.”

“No, he doesn’t, he’s a grown man.” He said firmly.

Nero shook his head. “You know what he was like, he doesn’t cope with stress, how often did you hold his hand just to get him to sleep again.”

There is a fond look that changed Vergil’s expression. “I remember.”

Nero held onto the affection in his father’s eyes. “He needs us dad, we have no idea what this must be doing to him.”

Vergil blinked and looked down off to the side. “I…he’ll be…just promise me you will stop Nero.” He stared deeply at him, eyes pleading.

Nero sighed. “I can’t do that dad, I won’t”

Vergil closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Go to your room Nero.”

Something in Nero was sad, defeated and for all his bravado he doesn’t argue, returning up the stairs, Vergil following behind. At his door Vergil balanced his cookie onto of the glass, ready to lock the door again. Nero lingered in the doorway, frustration welling. Rounding on his father he poured his feelings into a cold pointed stare.

“This is going to work Vergil, not the way you want it to.”

“And I can’t let it work out the way you want.” He started to shut the door but Nero grabbed it, holding it open.

“Why??” He demanded.

“Because its not what’s best for you.” Nero’s hands dropped away in defeat and Vergil pulled the door shut, locking him away.

“Fuck!” Nero swore and kicked the door. He wanted to scream and rant and break down but he had to remain strong. He had to convince his father to let them be together. It would never be enough for V to lose the only father he had after so much loss. Nero had to win this fight for the both of them.

“Just hold on V, I’m coming baby.”

\------

Vergil decided to change tactics by bringing in Dante and Nero experienced a singular kind of dread. He wasn’t ashamed of he and V but the thought of disappointment in his favourite Uncle’s eyes filled him with fear. Only it didn’t work out how either Vergil or Nero predicted.  
Dante strode into the house with purpose and as soon as he came into view to find Vergil watching his son’s movement with hawkish eyes he launched forward to bundle Nero up in a hug. With a bone crushing strength he held him close, close enough to whisper in his ear ‘I’m happy for you.’ Placing him down on his feet he ruffled his hair grinning from ear to ear.

“So where’s V?” He asked, looking around the room.

Nero frowned sadly. “Back at the apartment.”

Dante’s eyes widened and he rounded on Vergil. “For all this time! By himself! Vergil I didn’t entrust the kid over to you so you could torture him.”

Vergil folded up his newspaper and pulled off his reading glasses. “I’m not torturing V Dante, he has his freedom, if anything it Nero you should be worrying about.”

Dante gave an exasperated groan and stalked over to his chair, standing before him. “Do you know nothing of emotions or the boy? Nero knows that for all your fucked up values you still care about him but you’ve basically kicked V to the curb.

Vergil sniffed derisively. “He wouldn’t be staying in my apartment if I’d done that.”

“You should know how he feels. He’s your fucking son Vergil!” Dante shouted.

Vergil shot to his feet. “Yes and that’s the fucking problem!”

Vergil never swore. It’s like it wasn’t in his vocabulary but there he was huffing, both brothers caught up in each other’s space.

Dante shook his head, softening. “V loves you Vergil, you’re the only parent he’s got. You can’t do this to him.”

“Well he shouldn’t have done this to Nero!” Vergil bit back.

Nero watched as they glared back and forward before Dante pinched the bridge of his nose. “That’s not how this works, no one did anything to each other, maybe for sex but not for this, a love like this has to be mutual.” There’s something pained in Dante’s expression now but as it quickly disappeared Nero wondered whether he had imagined it.

Vergil gritted his teeth. “Go upstairs Nero.”

Dante was on his side in this and that brought Nero immense relief. He hoped with rising anticipation that maybe his uncle could convince his father. He wanted to be around for how this all played out. Lingering his father’s eyes suddenly landed on him.

“Now Nero!”

Nero huffed, moving slowly out of the dining room and up the stairs. Lingering on the landing he peered down at the scene.

“You can’t keep him here Vergil, this is ridiculous.” Dante started again.

Vergil scoffed, falling back into his chair. “Ridiculous? Ridiculous is my son falling in love with my adopted son.”

Dante shrugged. “It’s not illegal.”

Vergil looked up at him with wild furious eyes. “But it is shameful. The ridicule they’ll receive, no one will accept them.”

“And that would reflect badly on you.”

“Yes!”

“Still selfish I see.”

“Still a degenerate.” Vergil spat back.

Dante laughed. “For what, accepting your son’s wishes? I love Nero just as much as you do, and V, I’m pretty fond of the kid. He’s never once stepped out of line, I thought he was a mirror image of you, you know that saying, imitation and flattery and all that.”

Vergil simply shook his head. “Dante, I’m not going to let this happen.”

Dante sighed and shifted even closer. “Vergil, you don’t have a choice. You’ve kept him here for a month and nothing has changed. Let the boy go, let him go back to V, they must be worried sick about each other.”

Vergil looked away from him then and Nero couldn’t read his expression. “I just can’t Dante, not until I’ve tried my damndest to convince that he doesn’t want this.”

 _You’ll be waiting a long time,_ Nero thought.

Dante echoed the sentiment. “Well you’ll be waiting for a long time.”

Vergil’s head whipped back, eyes pleading with his brother. “He’s still a child.”

Dante shook his head. “No Vergil, I’m sorry but he isn’t.”

Vergil deflated and buried his face in his hands. “I just don’t want him to screw up his life, either of them.”

“We can’t control who we love.” Dante’s voice is soft and aching.

From where Nero sat he could see sadness in his uncle’s eyes as he watched his brother, hand angled up as if stretching to give comfort. Nero knew that look, he’d ignored it in V for years, brushing it aside, leaving it unnamed, but he knew its name now; that was an expression of love and not the familial kind. Nero was stunned, how long had Dante suffered in silence? It certainly accounted for why he’d never married. A love between Vergil and Dante, whilst exceedingly more complicated than Nero’s love for V, was, given Vergil’s nature, certainly one-sided. How agonising.

“All they need is for you to accept them Verg.” Dante’s hand found its way into Vergil’s hair and Nero’s father sighed into the touch, genuinely relieved at the comfort but Nero saw a flash of pain in Dante’s eyes before he closed his eyes.

For all his curiosity, now Nero really did feel like he was intruding. Retreating off the landing he returned to his room and began pulling a plan into to motion. Though every previous attempt had been thwarted by Vergil, Nero made up his mind to escape again tonight. 

Though his anger towards his father had died down, though he understood his reasons not matter how misguided, he was bitterly disappointed at how selfish his father had proven to be. If only Vergil was honest with himself. It wasn’t Nero who needed time to think it over, it was Vergil, he was just holding him hostage while he struggled to digest it, but Nero wouldn’t play this game with him, not when V waited out there potentially assuming Nero had forsaken him. 

He would get out tonight.


	5. Chapter 5

It was just before midnight when Nero packed his bag and pulled out his last bobby pin. If this snapped, all was lost. He knelt in front of the door, leaning his hands on the wood when suddenly it gave way, sending him forwards to sprawl on the ground. Swearing under his breath he looked up to see Dante smiling down at him.

“Up and at’em kid, you’ve got a boyfriend to console.” Dante grinned.

Nero’s chest welled with joy, with gratitude and a hell of a lot of relief. “Dad’s gonna kill you.” He said, pulling himself to his feet.

Dante’s gaze darkened. “Let me handle Vergil.”

Nero nodded. His old man was no longer his concern, he had forced Nero’s distance with the neglect of his feelings every day he kept Nero here against his will. Nero would not forgive him for the pain he had caused him and definitely not the pain he had caused V. And yet when it came back to V Nero hesitated. He knew his lover adored their father and that his rejection of them would have utterly destroyed him. But Nero had tried, he’d fought for them day in and day out but Vergil was stubborn and if Nero was honest he would say Vergil was scared. Scared of such a dramatic change, scared what others might think, sacred of what their lives would be like now; he was flooded with fear.

And Nero didn’t think fear was something others could overcome for you.

They crept down the stairs, cautious of making sound. Easing past the dining-room they were coming to the front door when Dante suddenly gave an undignified scream and stopped ahead of him. Peering around his shoulder Nero saw Vergil standing between them and the door.

“Nice Dante.” Vergil took a step forward. “Going behind my back to undercut my word.”

“Hey I’m a police officer, I uphold justice annnd I’m pretty sure you could be done for holding Nero hostage.” Dante crossed his arms over his chest.

Nero stepped out from around him. “Dad-.”

“You’re never going to stop are you?” Vergil asked suddenly.

Nero shook his head. “I love him Dad.”

Vergil drew in a deep breath. “Then I guess there’s no point to this.” He turned, stepping out of the way of the door. “If I can’t change your mind then go…make your mistakes.”

Dante walked up to his brother and clapped him on the shoulder as Nero gaped, mouth opening and closing. “Are you serious?”

Vergil nodded. “This is not my approval, I don’t know how to accept you-

“- yet.” Dante interjected.

Vergil glared at his twin. “But I won’t stop you anymore or keep you apart.”

Nero breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. This was the best he could hope for, he only wished Vergil had come to this conclusion earlier. Perhaps he should have thanked him but he still harboured an unshakable amount of resentment, how could he not after all he had done to him and V? At the moment all he could think about was leaving this house that Vergil had made his prison; V was the only thing on his mind.

Before he could push forward Dante was grabbing him by the shoulder and pressing money into his hand. “Think kid, you’ve got no car, take this for a cab and breathe, you’ll see him soon.” He patted his shoulder.

“Thanks Dante.” He smiled and looked past his father to the door, the only thing that remained between him and his freedom. With the cash in hand he coiled with anticipation, ready to jump into a run and fly out of here but before he could take his first step he was yet again stopped by a hand on his shoulder. He looked into the serious eyes of his father and felt a dread rise. Did he mean to stop him somehow?

“You’ll need this.” Vergil passed him his phone, turning on the display for Nero to read; full battery. He’d charged his phone for him. His old man really had planned to give up, to let him go and forgive them for their love. Well forgive was a strong choice of words, an action Vergil may not be up to quite yet. Something at least had shifted, paving the way for him to return to V. The premeditation to release him with his belongings meant something. He would see V soon.

There was something primal in him that demanded he find him now, find his way to his side immediately, that he confirm he was safe and sate his fears. The true animal within wanted to take him, claim him and know he was his again. As his father’s hand lingered on his shoulder Nero felt agitation, the want and need to be with V boiling over, demanding motion – now!

“I’m going now.” He stated bluntly.

Dante gave him thumbs up and tugged a confused Vergil away from him. “I understand, go get him kid.”

As his father’s hand slipped away, he winked at them both before turning to open the door. Vergil made a distressed noise that had him glancing back to see him straining against Dante’s grip, still not prepared to let his son go.

“I’m sorry Nero…to both of you. I just don’t…didn’t know how to deal with it. I lashed out and I was cruel, but what I should have remembered is that I love you both and that has to be enough for me now.” He professed this ardently, face contorted in a certain kind of agony that begged for Nero to believe him, to forgive _him_.

Everything he had said and done to keep them apart had hurt. He had been vicious, attacking them and attacking V with scathing sometimes disgusting accusations and insinuations all to protect the image he wanted to uphold. His removed, haughty inability to accept them had nearly cost him everything. Not to mention literally holding Nero hostage. And yet it had all come from a complex desire to protect Nero, to protect himself and to protect V(in his own way). Nero was determined to believe V held a special place in Vergil’s heart despite the neglect dealt and his words of favouritism towards Nero. He knew all this and Nero could forgive him for everything but leaving V out in the cold, that was one thing that he wouldn’t forgive until Vergil had begged for V’s forgiveness, he was the truly wronged party here.

He turned away from them and gave a short wave. “I’ll forgive you dad, but you owe V an apology, whether he decides to give you forgiveness to you is up to him.”

“Tell V I love him.” Vergil rushed out the words quickly as the door closed behind him. He didn’t need a reply, he would tell him but such words would be hard to believe after everything that had happened.

Nero punched in the number for a taxi and jogged down the driveway. He’d tell V their father’s words after he had cemented his own love confession into V’s skin. How would he react when Nero walked through the door after all this time? Would he rage at him, would he crumple and cry, would he even be of sane mind? Nero had nearly gone mad without V, but at least he had been occupied by fighting Vergil every day for their right to be together; V had had nothing but radio silence.

_Please let him be ok._

The ride was agony. He felt every second that passed, his knee bouncing and teeth grinding as they travelled from the rich suburbs to the inner city. He didn’t care about the change, cash wasn’t something he had dire need for, especially when he didn’t intend on leaving his apartment for days, planning to lose himself in reclaiming V, heart and soul. He chucked the bank note with thanks to his cabbie and fled the taxi. He decided, while waiting, bouncing and grinding his teeth again, that he hated elevators, the slow crawl upwards and its damn boppy jingle-esque music maddening. It filled him with agitation, layering on top of his impatience.

He needed to get to V.

At their apartment he found his keys easily and unlocked the door, almost slipping on a piece of cream-white stationary. All their mail was left in a post box downstairs so someone must have come up and delivered this personally. It wasn’t addressed to anyone and Nero’s curiosity was enough to quell any fears of intruding where he didn’t belong, his impatience simmering. Opening it, the stylistic handwriting told him immediately that it was from Kyrie and he felt a twinge of hesitation as the letter head was addressed V. A quick skim of the letter dissuaded him of this and he reread it carefully, heart growing heavy and fearful.

V hadn’t been himself she stated in concern; withdrawn, unemotional or volatile, hollow even which had given her enough cause for concern but now he had missed all this classes for the past week. Her attempts to contact him had gone unanswered and he wouldn’t even answer the door. She wrote with the same amount of urgency and distress that was now flooding Nero. He dropped his backpack, letter fluttering to the floor and he rushed directly for V’s bedroom, shoes still on.

Throwing open V’s door the room was dark and musty, the curtains drawn. The space was a mess of clothes, shoes and the spare dish or two, but far too few to give Nero the impression V was eating regularly. His heart stopped as a lump in the bed shifted, easing his fear with the realisation that his beloved was at very least alive. In what capacity though Nero was about to find out. He flicked the light on and pulled back the covers to reveal the tightly curled bundle within. The body moaned and turned to look at him, rubbing his eyes.

Nero’s breath caught at the weakened, sallow state of him. Pale and unusually thin, his eyes were sunken, encircled by dark rings, beautiful green depths hollow and muted as they blinked up at him. They grew wide with recognition and his mouth opened in surprise, arms shaking as they reached up, requesting to be embraced. Nero buried him into his neck without a second thought, arms securing around his back, V's fingers clutching at his clothing desperately, a noise just short of a sob escaping V.

“It’s ok baby, I’m back.” He stroked his hair and found it limp and oily, the cheek he pressed against rasping over his skin with more than a five o’clock shadow. “Oh my love.”

There was a heavy musk to the room and the sickly sweet scent of rotting food and a rotting V. When was the last time he showered? The fact that V, the religious groomer that he was had let it get so far was a clear indication of his mental health. He had fallen into the same destructive cycle of distress that had plagued him when he first arrived on their doorstep.

The arms around him wouldn’t let go as he tried to pull back. “V let’s get you cleaned up.””

V shook his head against him, murmuring something into his skin.

Nero sighed and stroked his hair again. “V baby I’m not going anywhere.” Nero tried to reason with him but V only curled closer, trying to bring him down into the sheets with him.

“I thought you were not coming back.” V’s voice was hoarse from the lack of use and it pained Nero greatly, forever enamoured by the deep velvety tones of his beloved.

“Vergil wouldn’t let me but I tried baby. I really tried.” He crooned softly, placing a kiss to his forehead.

“He hates me, how could he not? He thinks I am perverse, sick…and he is right.” V sulked and released him, hands moving to clutch at the front of Nero’s shirt.

“No he’s not…I mean well yes he did think that but not so much anymore…I think.” This wasn’t going well. “It was just a lot for him to digest, he’s a proud man and a bit of a bigot honestly, but I think he’s going to try. He loves us; he’s going to be ok with it now.”

V shook his head violently. “How can he possibly be ok with it? I have corrupted you, I betrayed his trust and his love…after everything he has done for me.”

Nero felt a twinge of anger at the words flowing from V but he had to remember V had had a month to mull over everything and make it his fault. “V what we have is not sin, you have not corrupted me, I don’t care what anyone else thinks, I’m yours.” He said this rather forcefully.

V buried his face in his hands. “I should have stayed away. I never should have done this to you. I should have left the moment I realised these feelings were not going away.”

Nero growled and grabbed those hands, pressing them down into the pillow on either side of his head. “V I’ve told you before, don’t you dare take away my accountability, don’t take this all on yourself and don’t you _dare_ wish for a reality where I didn’t get the chance to recognise my feelings.”

V blinked back at him before his eyes began to water. Nero immediately released his hands and watched him rub at his eyes. “I never thought I would see you again. I kept thinking I should have done everything I could to ensure I did not lose you but instead I fucked it all up and was selfish because I wanted you.” He sniffed, cupping his face to hide himself.

Nero sighed and sat back, pulling V up with him. He curled him close, rubbing his back in soothing circles, smiling as he recognised his favourite shirt covering his lover. “I understand baby but hearing you wish for things like that hurts me.”

V nodded and pulled his head out of his hands. “I’m ok now.” His hands lied, curling into Nero’s shirt, and Nero’s heart swelled with affection.

“Alright, then its shower time stinky.” Nero joked and V’s eyes widened at the offence, cautiously smelling himself. The expression of disgust was comical and Nero kept his humour to a minimal grin.

“I just stopped trying to get out of bed, everything was so pointless.” He hung his head, resting it against Nero’s shoulder.

“I know baby, but I’m here now, it’s time to shower. Come on, up we go.” Nero urged V to his feet and he went without complaint though his hands never relinquished their hold of him.

They made their way in the bathroom and Nero positioned V in front of the mirror. “Teeth and a shave.” He ordered firmly, attempting to take a step away.

V frowned, fingers still looped in the fabric of his shirt. “Where are you going?”

Nero sighed and pressed their foreheads together. “To clean up your room so we can sleep there together.”

V pursed his lips, looking on the brink of objecting before he grumbled low in his throat and finally released Nero. Leaving his side, Nero cast a fond look at him as he braced his hands on the sink and stared at his reflection. There was bitter disgust in his expression that had Nero wanting to run back to his side and pepper him with kisses but there was only so much coddling that was healthy. V needed to recover his sense of self and find himself under the layers of neglect. Nero could help, but he couldn’t do it for him…it would never be something that lasted if he did.

He left him there and returned to the bedroom. Opening up the window, he stripped the bed and piled up the clothing on the floor into the wash basket. Making the bed up with V’s favourite deep purple sheets Nero stretched his back before collecting the dishes and taking them out into the kitchen. Wandering back into the bathroom he found V rinsing off his face.

Catching his eyes in the reflection V twisted around, his hands rising briefly, fingers twitching to grab at the air for him before he bit his lip and lowered them. Nero’s heart swelled and he took long strides towards him, bundling him up in his arms and kissing him deeply. The kiss was hard and graceless and yet it was clean as they pawed at each other, lips pulling and pressing, breath heavy and harsh.

Parting Nero kissed along his cheek and down his neck, tasting the lingering remains of shaving cream. V moaned and murmured something unintelligible. Nero sighed and pulled back. “God I’ve missed you so much,” He took his face in his hands and kissed his eyelids, nose and lips once more. “I love you V.” He breathed against the plush softness of his lips.

“Nero,” V sighed against him, hands reaching down to pull his shirt out of his waist band. “I need you…I love you too but I need you now. I need to feel you're back with me.”

Nero wanted this too, his urgency, his need, he wanted to swallow it all and fuck and root his body deep inside him. He allowed V to undress him, panting against his mouth. In a moment of air Nero grasped hold of V’s sweatpants and wrenched them down as V dragged the shirt he’d clearly been living in over his shoulders. Mostly naked, V lined his body up against him and Nero ran his hands down the soft slip of his skin, feeling the prominent angles of his body with concerning ease. Kicking of his shoes and pants he growled and bit down on V’s collarbone, eliciting a gasp.

How dare V neglect himself so. Nothing was more important to Nero than him. At very least, how dare he punish the body he had given to Nero. Possessive as it was Nero would use it to make sure V never did something so cruel to himself again.

Opening up the shower door he flicked on the tap before he picked V up, his legs wrapping around his waist and carried him into the warming spraying. V gasped and shuddered as he held them under it. Biting his throat he glared at his beloved. “You won’t ever do that again.” His fingers dug into his skin as he dragged them over his body. “I care about you, you should care about yourself…but more importantly you gave your body to me V, I did not give you permission to ruin yourself.”

He bit down hard again and V whined. “You do not know what it was like without you.”

Nero pushed him up hard against the cold tiles and V hissed. He pulled back to glare up at him. “I spent a month without V, locked in that house, I had no idea when I was going to see you again.”

V glared back at him then. “At least you knew what was going on. I was rejected and left to fend for myself, I had no idea what was going on. I tried, I really did but it suffocated me with hopelessness.”

Nero tried to kiss him but he refused it, eyes tumultuous and angry. Nero gritted his teeth. “So you thought starving yourself and skipping school would fix everything?” He asked incredulously.

V dropped his legs and stood before him, shaking. “I did not know what else to do! Everything just seemed so pointless.”

Nero wrapped an arm around his waist, pulling them flush against each other, Nero’s heavy arousal dragging against V’s awaken one. “Nothing about your health is pointless, not to me.” He thrusted forward and V’s breath hitched, lust lurking behind the shadowed angst in his eyes. “Never again, you hear me, don’t you dare.”

“Can you promise me I will never feel that way again?” V asked in a small voice, hands braced on Nero’s shoulders.

Nero shook his head. “I can’t, but that’s not the point. You’re precious to me, you need to be precious to yourself too. I need you to promise me you won’t neglect yourself.” He pleaded, fingers running loving over the body of the man he so adored.

“I cannot do that.”

Nero snarled. “Do as you’re told.”

Something defiant crawled its way into V’s eyes. “Make me.”

Something in Nero snapped and he grabbed hold of V before twisting him to push him into the glass opposite the hot spray. Water tumbled over them as he pressed against V’s back, watching him flatten his hands against the glass. He nipped at his shoulder and felt V press his arse against his groin and twist his hips till Nero’s cock slotted between his cheeks. Nero groaned and grasped his hips, thrusting his cock between that hot space.

Eager to be inside him Nero pulled away and slipped his finger against the soft furled skin of his entrance. Pushing a finger in deeply he found the rim of his arse parted easily, his insides hot and slick with lubricant. His first instinct was to be unreasonable and assume V had taken another lover into this place that was his. Before he got over that thought V spoke something against the panelled glass.

“I could not replace the feeling of you, no toy would suffice, but I tried, again and again until even the pain was better than nothing.” He clenched his body down around the finger and moaned. “God I missed you.”

There was a pain in his confession that made Nero want to chase it away and it may not be appropriate but all he could think of was that hot body tightening around him, V gasping his name. He took the initiative to plunge two fingers within him, twisting and angling them up to strike at V’s prostate. There was a low hum as he found it that grew louder as he massaged the spot. Inserting a third finger to relentlessly stab at it, V cried out, Nero’s name falling from his lips in a stream of seductive pants.

Retrieving his fingers V whined at the loss and Nero shushed him, spreading the little lube on his fingers over his cock. “This is going to be a little dry baby, can you take it?”

V wriggled his body, pushing his arse out. “Yesss come on Nero now.” 

Spurned by his insistence Nero pressed the head of his cock to his rim and felt it flutter and clench for him, eager. Fuck he had missed V’s lust, that willing body that craved only him. He pushed forward, V’s body parting around him and he gave a deep groan that was echoed by V. He tried to keep the water away from them as he withdrew and snapped his hips forward. V’s whole body jerked at the force but he only widened his legs, bracing himself for more.

Droplets from the shower trickled down V's back, following the tattooed lines and Nero leaned forward to replace it with his tongue. V sighed and canted his hips, helping him slip even deeper. Even with the lube in his body the drag was dry, tinged with a pain that was both only just bearable and intoxicating. Nipping up his back he secured his hands around V’s hips to pull him back to meet each thrust. V’s voice was crawling higher, a symphony of moans and groans spilling from his lips bouncing off the walls of the bathroom to surround them.

As Nero drove in deep V yelped and shuddered, clasping a hand around his mouth, smothering his sounds. Feeling the burning drag of his walls over his cock on the withdraw Nero relinquished his grip on V’s hips to grab that hand and wrench it away.

“No.” He said firmly trailing his fingers down his side to return to his hips. He took him fast with quick, plunging thrusts that had his balls tightening. “Fuck you’re beautiful V, I’ve missed you, missed this so much.”

V’s reply was garbled by the string of incoherent sounds as he pressed his torso against the glass, willingly subjected to Nero’s speed and lust. He tried again to speak but only a low drawn out moan came out and once again that hand was clamping over his mouth. Nero growled and grabbed the offending arm, holding behind his back as he slammed his hips against his arse. V whined at the twist this forced on his body, but didn’t make further complaint, laying his free arm underneath his head and pressed his cheek against it.

So restrained and frazzled V watched him from his peripheral vision and Nero fell in love all over again. “Shit V, I’m going to cum.” He ground their hips together and rutted forward in short slapping bursts.

V grunted and mewled with the force of each thrust, mouth hanging open as he wiggled around to arch his spine to take the angle of his penetration. V’s flexibility was a thing to marvel at, the sloping slide of his back collecting water at the dip. Water which shook and trembled as Nero tried to fuse them together, the rise of his arousal seeing him pound hard and heavy into his beloved ‘brother’. He wasn’t even sure V had the energy for this – when was the last time he had a proper meal. His movements faltered for a moment and V craned back to glare at him.

“If you dare stop, I will castrate you.” He growled breathlessly.

Ok, so definitely up to this.

“Anything you say my love.” Nero panted, tightening his grip on his hip and arm. The tremble of those legs beneath him was divine, the broken gasp that returned as V took him deep, body primed and willing to accept the degree of Nero’s need. His love could be so sweet but damn if his heart didn’t have teeth. He supposed they both had a bite that was difficult to temper even with their love.

God those noises though.

“Always with those damn fucking gorgeous noises V. You like me like this, like I’d like you to scream.” He growled and rubbed the bundle of nerves within V. He was reward with a loud moan that rose to crescendo into a choked shout. Close enough. It echoed around the bathroom surrounding them but this time V couldn’t smother the sounds.

Nero knew it wouldn’t be long. The tight drag around his cock, the raw pressure of that less than ideally lubricated passage provided more friction than he could handle and combined with the image V made, breathing heavily against the glass, a musical sounds of his passion and their lust filling the space made him all the more aware that he wasn’t going to last any longer. He pistoned his hips hard a few time before burying himself to the hilt, fingers digging into V’s skin as he tossed his head back, teeth gritted as his orgasm tore through him.

V moaned as Nero sagged forward mouthing messy kisses over his wet skin. V tried to continue impaling himself on Nero’s softening cock and Nero winced, flattening his hands to hold him at bay as he withdrew.

“Nero!” V chastised, clearly not satisfied.

Nero shushed him, releasing him to turn and grab a bar of soap. V pulled himself off the glass and turned around, levelling him with a lust laced glower. “I do not want to be washed moron, I want to be fucked.” He said with a little venom of their old fights before he frowned and switched tactics. “Nero, give yourself to me.” He moaned, hands reaching out for him.

Nero ran the soap over his chest and pinched at a sudsy nipple eliciting a moan. “Well princess, this can be all part of the fun before you fuck my mouth.”

V’s eyes widened before they grew hooded and sultry and he licked his lips. “You do look good on your knees.”

Nero smirked. There was the usual V, there was his baby. “You look better.” He leaned forward to take V’s lips into his mouth, hands sliding the bar over his arse cheeks before slipping in between.

“Yeah, I do.” V whispered huskily against his lips and drew Nero’s bottom lip in between his teeth, biting down just hard enough to hurt while remaining ever so teasing. He was pressing his hips against Nero’s, his cock grinding needily just above his pelvis due to V’s long legs. He chuckled and used his grip on V’s arse to drive him further into him and V mumbled something against his lips in a wanton voice.

“Yeah you like that don’t you. Needy little bitch.” He shifted his hands to wrap around his hard cock, cleaning it down thoroughly. In retaliation, said needy bitch bit him again, hard enough to bleed and he tasted copper as he smashed their lips together, V’s hips canting into his grip.

Twisting him round he shoved V directly under the shower head and enjoyed the grunt and sour expression as water poured over his head. He stalked forward to capture his lips again, the rushing water making it difficult to breathe but somehow dangerously erotic. Nero’s hands washed his body down, paying extra attention to his cock, giving him a hand job of teasing touches and firm strokes.

V reeled away from the water to pant against the tiled wall, cleaned and washed down, but clearly out of breath. Nero sucked the water from his lips, still tasting the blood and turned V around on the wall to face him. Sinking down to his knees he unceremoniously slipped V’s cock in his mouth. There was disappointment in the purely sanitised taste to him but it was better to know he was clean.

He worked his mouth over him, tongue running up the soft slip of his skin, utilising his hand at his base to meet his motions. Suckling the head, he swirled his tongue around, flicking the slit and diving in deeply in that way he knew drove V mental. As if summoned, V’s hands gripped his hair roughly, pulling as he groaned and pushed his hips forward. Nero’s hand holding the base of his cock saved himself from being choked, but he took it as praise.

He wanted more, wanted to feel him truly come undo under his ministrations and he knew V needed more. Grabbing the back of his thigh, he threw one of V’s legs over his shoulder, checking first to see that he was stable before slipping his fingers between his cheeks. He saw no need for delicacy, not with the way the fingers wrapped in his hair urged him, long ragged groan dragging from V. He pressed three fingers close together and drove them up past the initial resistance into the hot wet heat of V’s arse.

He heard a loud smack and glanced up to see V had thrown his head back, mouth open and soundless. He stretched his fingers deep inside him, searching for his prostate as he bobbed his head over his cock. He barely had the time to play with the bundle of nerves before V was cuming hard into his mouth with a long cry. It hit the back of his throat and in surprise Nero gagged for a moment, swallow his release down. Nero withdrew his hand and helped V stand before getting to his feet. Just as he rose, V slipped down the tiles to the ground, eyes closed, panting heavily.

“V baby, are you alright?” Nero crouched down in front of him in concern.

Tired sated eyes looked back at him. “Mmm just need a moment.”

Nero stood and washed his hands under the spray before retrieving the shampoo and conditioner. Returning to V’s side he looked like he was falling asleep and Nero smiled fondly. Reaching out he stroked his face. “Do you want me to wash your hair?”

V looked up and nodded, tilting his head forward in offering. Nero knelt back down before him, the hot water running down his back. He massaged the formula into his hair, fingers pressing into his scalp and V gave a gentle moan at the sensation. He was careful not to get any in his eyes, lightly running his fingernails over his head, watching V tilt his head into each touch.

“Time to get up luv.” He stood and grabbed his arms, helping him to rise. V didn’t look all that happy, but followed him under the hot spray nonetheless. His arms didn’t move, simply hung by his side as the water poured over his head and Nero sighed, reaching up to rinse his hair out, washing the suds from his face.

Moving him out of the spray he was blinking rapidly, beautiful face pulled into a grimace. Nero chuckled. “You’re so useless at the moment.” He said without malice, endearingly.

V rubbed at his eyes. “You have made me this way.”

Nero huffed, reaching for the conditioner. “You did this to yourself, everything else Vergil did.” He ran the conditioner through his hair.

“You started it, you provoked him.” His tone was suddenly darker, no longer childish in the sleepy sulking.

Nero swallowed deeply. He couldn’t deny that, he had opened his big mouth in front of their father and caused all this heart ache. And he hadn’t even apologised. His fingers turned gentle and stroking and he raised V’s head up to look him in the eyes.

“I’m sorry V. I was stupid. I opened my mouth and forced us into this situation. In the end you were hurt the most, I’m so sorry.” He tried to pour his regret into his touch, eyes searching that narrowed green gaze for acceptance and forgiveness.

“Why did you have to fight me on it? I was not trying to out us, my words were only to maintain the story of who I was before you.” He glared at him before pushing him off to step back into the water.

Nero watched him, flooded with shame as V rinsed his hair out and washed his lower body down. He didn’t know what to say or how to make this better. “I shouldn’t have said anything, I knew, deep down I knew why you were saying those things but I just hated to hear them. I wanted to make you stop, to listen only to me.”

V shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel. “Do you hear how selfish that is Nero, you had no restraint, no appreciation of the consequences and why? Because you wanted to possess me? Because you could not stand to hear of my loose past?” He dried himself down.

Nero stepped out of the shower in front of him, dripping wet, demanding his attention. “Yes! I fucking love you V and the thought of you with anyone else drives me mad. I won’t share you, I won’t even share you with your memories of them.” He wanted to grab him, to hold him and calm the wild beat of his heart that raced with no reason but one. V.

V threw the towel at him and stalked naked from the room. Nero gritted his teeth and dried himself off ready to rush out of there before he reconsidered and brushed his teeth. He would kiss his boyfriend and they would make up. They had too. He made his way to V’s room, finding him curled into the purple sheets, back to him.

He walked over to him and looked down at him. “Do you hate me?”

V sighed and buried his face into the pillow. “No I do not hate you Nero, I just wish that you had been more reasonable.”

Nero knelt by the bed, pressing his face against his back. “Then tell me what to do. I love you so much V, it feels like my heart’s going to explode. I nearly killed Vergil for keeping me away from you I swear. My mind is loose a few bolts when it comes to you. I'm ruled by an unreasonable heart.” 

V rolled over to face him. “I love you too I do but this is something that cannot be undone.” His damp hair fell in strands to cover his shadowed eyes.

Nero reached to grab his hands. “I know that, but we don’t need his approval, not when we have each other.”

V sighed. “When we did not have it I did not care, but now…I want it Nero, now that he knows I will never feel right without it.”

“Am I not enough?”

V pulled his hands free and laid on his back, arm pressed against his forehead. “Do not be like that Nero, it is not fair.”

Nero stood and climbed over him, straddling him. “I’ve poured my heart out to you V, I’ve given you my heart and I know I’ve fucked up but I made it back to you, to be with you, to make it up to you.”

V glared up at him. “And yet you wish to deny the situation we are in. You find it unreasonable that I would want our father’s approval as if it somehow denies that I love you. I love you, you idiot but I will never feel at peace while Vergil resents us. That does not make me love you less; it just makes this more complicated.”

Nero sighed, defeated and buried his head into his neck. “I’m so sorry V, I fucked up big time.”

They lay there as Nero huffed, breath ragged and distraught before finally V’s arms found their way around him. “I forgive you Nero, I forgave you for everything you have done and everything you could do from the moment I met you.”

Nero lay down beside him, still buried against him, leg thrown over his thighs. “I will get you Vergil’s approval, whatever it takes.” He vowed to him, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

V turned to look at him, eyes searching his for the sincerity of the promise and smiled. “Thank you Nero.”

His hand reached up to run through Nero’s hair and down the planes of his face before cupping his chin to lean in. They joined in a gentle kiss, sealing the promise as they breathed heavily and longing together. V’s lips were plush but chapped from neglect but he tasted just as sweet. They whispered ‘I love yous’ Nero’s in apology and V’s in thanks before pulling the sheets over them, nestling down in each other’s arms to sleep away the exhausting month apart.

This wouldn't be over so easily, love and acceptance never was, but they had each other and they would work to demand it from the world. They deserved it and they would never be had to love in the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you go~!
> 
> Sorry for the huge wait but thank you all so much for being patient with me. You guys have made writing these guys so fun! I kinda wanted to leave this one a little unwrapped just because even though Vergil has made some progress, as a woman in a relationship with another woman I know how hard it is to work at your parents to fight for what you feel is just common decency and respect. Obviously the sibling thing has complicated the dynamic but honestly its a little allusion to my struggles. Anyway, loved doing this story, thanks so much again everyone!


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